KP CM says to consult PTI founder on new cabinet and key government issues
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. SCREEN GRAB
Newly elected Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has written to the President of Pakistan and has also filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking permission to meet the jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder, Imran Khan.
The request, sent through the KP Advocate General, requests the Chief Justice to direct the Inspector General of Jails and the Home Ministry to facilitate the meeting, Express News reported.
In his letter, Afridi stated that after the resignation of former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, he was elected to the post and now has to shoulder his constitutional responsibilities.
He said that both moral and constitutional obligations required him to consult Imran Khan, the party’s patron-in-chief, especially regarding the formation of the new provincial cabinet and other pressing government matters.
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Afridi explained that he had previously contacted the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Interior Minister and the Punjab government for permission to meet Khan, but had yet to receive a response.
“I am the elected Chief Minister of the province and a representative of 45 million people,” Afridi wrote. “It is my constitutional and moral duty to seek directives from my party leader.”
Calling Khan’s guidance crucial on inter-provincial issues, the chief minister stressed that a monitored meeting at Adiala jail was necessary in the wider public interest.
Separately, Afridi has approached the Islamabad High Court through a special power of attorney given to the KP Advocate General. A petition filed by lawyer Syed Ali Bukhari sought immediate permission for Afridi to meet the jailed PTI founder.
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The petition stated that consultation with Khan was essential for cabinet formation and important administrative decisions. It reiterated that prior requests had already been made to both the federal and Punjab home departments.
The petition, which names the federal and Punjab home secretaries, Punjab inspector general and Adiala jail superintendent as respondents, also urges the court to allow not only a one-time meeting but also periodic interactions in future for continued guidance.
Speaking to the media, KP Advocate General Shah Faisal confirmed that the petition had been filed on behalf of Afridi. He said that after the case in the Islamabad High Court, the case would be taken to the Supreme Court and a formal audience with the CJP would be sought.
Faisal added that the issue would also be raised on the administrative side of the Supreme Court as consultation with the PTI founder was essential to form the provincial cabinet.
