CM Afridi says Imran Khan’s release is vital in broader national interest

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Thursday that PTI founder Imran Khan’s release from jail had become indispensable in the broader interest of the country, and said all possible constitutional and democratic efforts would be made for that purpose.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, Afridi made the remarks during a meeting with PTI parliamentarians from Peshawar, Malakand and Kohat regions, northern Punjab, as well as delegations from Khyber tribal district.

The meeting reviewed Imran Khan’s health, the ongoing Imran Release Campaign, the planned public gathering in Mardan, the overall political situation in the country, governance matters, party organisational affairs and the future course of action.

Afridi said Imran Khan’s health was not merely a political issue but one linked to his life and wellbeing, and therefore could not be ignored under any circumstances. He also expressed concern over what the statement described as the continued denial of access to Imran Khan for his family members and personal physicians.

Referring to the public gathering scheduled for April 19, the chief minister said that after the announcement of the event, certain quarters, including touts from digital platforms, had started negative propaganda aimed at weakening the gathering. He said the public would reject such tactics, adding that some elements were trying to sabotage the event and create political instability, but the government and the party remained firm in their policy direction.

He said the opposition’s propaganda would be rejected by the people on Sunday and added that a jirga of lawyers was being convened on Friday. He said similar consultative jirgas involving other segments of society would also be organised to develop a unified strategy through wider consultation and stakeholder engagement.

The chief minister said Imran Khan’s directions remained paramount at every level of the party structure and reiterated that efforts would continue for the protection of people’s rights and for securing his release from jail.

He also said work was under way on the forthcoming Annual Development Programme and that region-wise consultative meetings would be held so that public input could be incorporated into planning. Afridi said the upcoming budget would be framed with special emphasis on youth welfare and public interest to support sustainable development in the province.

Highways Authority budget and welfare measures approved

In a separate statement, the Chief Minister’s Office said Afridi directed authorities to allocate increased financial resources for the Highways Authority in the next provincial budget.

He chaired a meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highways Council in Peshawar, where matters related to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority’s budget, annual maintenance plan and other institutional affairs were discussed and approved, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

The meeting approved an increase in the authority’s annual administrative and operational grant from Rs30 million to Rs40 million to improve institutional efficiency and bring the road maintenance system in line with modern operational requirements and service delivery standards.

Afridi said the authority’s upcoming development programme would include several high-impact strategic projects and that timely and adequate financial allocations would be ensured for their early completion.

The meeting also approved an internship plan proposed by the authority under the KP Internship Policy. Afridi sanctioned a 20 per cent increase in internship seats under the province-wide internship programme, raising the total number from 5,000 to 6,000. He said the initiative was intended to provide youth with practical professional experience and improve their employability in the job market.

The chief minister said right of way charges should not be imposed by the Highways Authority in order to promote ease of doing business in the province and encourage a more investment-friendly environment.

The meeting approved proposed amendments to the Authority’s Service Regulations, 2019, and decided to strengthen the framework for retirement benefits and death compensation for employees to improve institutional welfare and social protection for the workforce.

On social welfare, the meeting reached a principled decision to further refine and operationalise a previously proposed financial assistance package for the legal heirs of families whose head died while undergoing treatment under the Sehat Insaf Card programme. Afridi said the main objective was to support bereaved families and reduce the hardships faced by dependents after the loss of their principal breadwinner.

He also directed that a formal feasibility study be carried out for the provincialisation of the Gul Abad to Sar Bala Road in Lower Dir district. Afridi said, Infrastructure development in remote and underserved areas remains among the government’s foremost priorities.