Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. SCREEN GRAB
RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Tuesday approved the formation of a lean and streamlined Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cabinet, empowering Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to choose his team independently.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Imran Khan in Adiala jail, the PTI founder’s sisters said he had “advised the chief minister to form a cabinet of his choice but keep it small”.
They added that Imran had instructed the party leaders to move the high courts and the Supreme Court against the restrictions to face him. “These directions will be conveyed to Salman Akram Raja,” they said.
Uzma Khan said she had briefed Imran about the KP rally which made him “very happy”.
“We told him everyone was demanding a long march and he laughed,” she said. Uzma added that Imran had not nominated anyone to the cabinet, giving full discretion to the chief minister. “He has clearly said that he did not suggest any names as the choice rests with the CM.”
She further said that Imran had sent a message to Salman Akram Raja stating that future party communications would be routed through him.
Furthermore, Imran expressed concern over the delay in issuing notifications for the appointments of Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas to the seats of Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Senate respectively.
She said the PTI founder had instructed the party’s lawyers to “immediately file contempt petitions and not leave the high court without securing a hearing date”.
Meanwhile, sources said PTI’s parliamentary committee, headed by Chief Minister Sohaib Afridi at the CM House in Peshawar, had agreed to form an eight-to-ten member cabinet after the upcoming Senate elections.
Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and several MPAs attended the meeting which finalized the party’s strategy for the October 30 Senate polls.
According to insiders, Afridi had tried three times to meet Imran but was denied permission. “Now that the green signal has been given, the cabinet will be formed after the Senate elections,” a party source said. The delay was aimed at avoiding discontent among members during the polls, they added.
Later, CM Sohail Afridi announced that he would file a contempt of court petition due to the rejection of his meeting with Imran Khan despite court orders. Speaking to reporters, Afridi said the decision was taken as orders of three judges have been violated.
“Our leader’s cases will not be heard in the Supreme Court. We urge the judiciary to uphold the rule of law. Our lawyers stand with you.”
He said there was “no justice in Pakistan” and that sentences were handed down “at someone’s behest”.
“The day justice is done, Imran Khan will go free,” Afridi hoped, adding that the umpires themselves had admitted interference in their decisions. “If judges are being held hostage, let the people know so we can free them,” he added.
Afridi said the denial of his meeting with the jailed party supremo did not mean he was out of touch. “Not meeting the founder doesn’t mean I’m not receiving his messages,” he said.
When a journalist asked why the cabinet had not yet been formed if communication existed, Afridi replied: “The real question is why am I prevented from meeting him when I have the mandate of the people?”
