Government and opposition trade barbs over allegations of obstruction in Sohail Afridi’s visit to provincial assembly
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi claimed the federal government was bent on pressuring Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan into submission – a course he warned was pushing Pakistan deeper into political, economic and social turmoil.
Speaking at a press conference in the Punjab Assembly on Friday, he said nations collapse when their rulers focus on intimidating opponents instead of addressing real challenges. He argued that the restrictions on meetings with the PTI founder clearly exposed the government’s misplaced priorities at a time when citizens were grappling with insecurity, inflation and unemployment.
Afridi said he had gone to Lahore to meet the party’s organizational workers, but alleged that the police at the Chakri interchange resorted to rude behavior and arbitrary arrests. He described the government as ‘illegitimate’ and accused it of using fascist tactics against PTI workers and elected representatives.
On the economy, the KP chief minister claimed that the upward movement of the stock market was artificially driven by political manipulation. He added that the country’s debt had risen from Rs43 billion to nearly Rs80 trillion, while major industries packed up and left the country.
Afridi scoffed at earlier demands by those in power who had promised to sell personal assets to clear the national debt, claiming that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had been sold off instead. “This is the state of economic governance today,” he said, adding that ordinary Pakistanis now felt insecure and deeply uncertain about the future.
Afridi further alleged that critical decisions were imposed behind closed doors without transparency, while industrial activity and economic growth continued to slide. He argued that the government’s priorities had become so skewed that silencing political opponents had completely replaced actual governance.
He condemned what he called the harassment of PTI leaders and workers, saying that both parliamentarians and activists were subjected to humiliation and intimidation.
Read more: KP CM criticizes police barricading his way to Lahore
Earlier, confusion and tension prevailed in the Punjab Assembly amid reports that the KP CM could face hurdles in entering the provincial legislature, prompting the opposition to warn of strong protests if restrictions were imposed. Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Moin Riaz Qureshi told reporters earlier in the day that Afridi and his cabinet members were guests in the Punjab Assembly.
He welcomed the KP Chief Minister and said Afridi would address opposition members inside the house. Qureshi said a complete list of guests had been submitted to the assembly secretariat and warned that any attempt to stop or ill-treat the delegation would trigger a protest march.
Later, Assembly sources confirmed that the Punjab Assembly Secretariat formally approved the entry of the KP Chief Minister and his delegation. The approved list included provincial ministers, cabinet members, senators, MNAs, MPAs and other political figures. The delegation was cleared by assembly security and Afridi was scheduled to meet opposition members and address them before they left.
The situation inside the House became heated when Qureshi raised a point of order and claimed that ‘fascism’ had returned to Punjab. He claimed that the police carried out night raids and even arrested teenage party workers and supporters. He alleged that the residences of senior PTI leaders including Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Aslam Iqbal were raided and claimed that their family members had been taken into custody.
Qureshi questioned the government’s law and order claims and cited an alleged murder case in which he said the accused remained at large. Qureshi demanded notice of what he called violations of the sanctity of homes and questioned the rationale behind police action against PTI workers.
Opposition MPA Rana Aftab Ahmed also spoke and said that opposition members had reached the assembly despite difficulties and claimed that they were ideological politicians. He complained of restrictions on meeting the PTI founder and alleged harassment through threats to implicate family members in cases.
Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channar said he had no information about raids on workers’ homes, but clarified that the KP CM had been declared a guest of Punjab and was allowed into the assembly.
Provincial Transport Minister Bilal Akbar also ruled out any restrictions on Afridi’s visit, saying any complaints regarding police action should be taken up with the relevant authorities. Tensions escalated further before Question Time as members from both sides exchanged allegations.
Opposition MPA Waqas Maan accused the government of ordering late-night raids and turning Punjab into a ‘battlefield’ ahead of Afridi’s visit. Rejecting the allegations, PML-N MPA Rana Arshad said peace would not be disturbed and confirmed the formal approval of Afridi’s visit.
Deputy Speaker Channar later asked the provincial minister to submit a detailed written report to the house on the alleged arrests of opposition workers. He lauded the decision to honor the KP Chief Minister as a guest and said opposition members had the right to welcome their leader.
The session was later adjourned due to lack of quorum and proceedings were adjourned until 14.00 on 29 December.
