- CM Afridi says he will meet Field Marshal Asim Munir.
- Calls for the supremacy of the constitution and the law.
- Admits using inappropriate language in Lahore.
In a positive development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said he is ready to hold talks with the establishment on provincial issues and improve relations, adding that policies should be framed in the public interest.
Speaking to reporters in Peshawar on Friday, the provincial chief said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan had not instructed him on anything regarding talks with the establishment.
At the same time, he clarified that the former prime minister had assigned the task to Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
He said that if any ceremony or meeting takes place, he would definitely meet the Chief of Defense Staff (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
Afridi said that the constitution and law should be supreme in the country, adding that for talks on Imran Khan’s release, the conditions and environment should be conducive.
He said it is legitimate for PTI founder’s sisters to come out and campaign for their brother’s release, adding that their purpose in going to Karachi is to mobilize public for PTI founder’s release.
The chief minister also admitted that during his visit to Lahore he used inappropriate language, but said it was in response to an act, adding that he had apologized for using such language during the visit.
On Friday, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah spoke Pakinomist news program ‘Naya Pakistan’ said it was impossible for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to make a dialogue offer to the PTI without first consulting Nawaz Sharif or the establishment.
He also expressed doubts about the success of any talks, saying that dialogue would fail unless the PTI founder supports it, and quoted Imran’s sister Aleema Khan as saying that anyone holding talks would not be from the party.
Earlier this week, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan recommended legal action over the chaos that erupted during CM Afridi’s arrival at the provincial legislature building.
He said a committee report found that people accompanying him entered the provincial assembly without proper permission and argued with security personnel.
The report came a day after Afridi wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to protest alleged ill-treatment during his visit to the Punjab Assembly.
