Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Thursday staged a sit-in at the Factory checkpoint after being denied permission to meet PTI founder Imran Khan. Afridi had arrived near Adiala Jail to see the former prime minister, but police stopped him from proceeding further, prompting him to begin the protest on the spot.
He was accompanied by MNA Shahid Khattak, MPA Mina Khan Afridi and other PTI leaders. Security along Adiala Road remained tight, with additional police deployed at Dahgal and Gorakhpur checkpoints.
Speaking to reporters, Afridi said increasing reports about Khan’s health had intensified public concern. He added that the party was seeking a meeting to verify Khan’s condition and ease widespread anxiety. He warned that continued restrictions could fuel nationwide unrest, saying, “If we are denied the meeting, we will consider our next steps.”
Afridi said all legal and democratic avenues had been exhausted in attempts to arrange the meeting. He claimed he had initially intended to hold a larger sit-in, but Khan’s sisters discouraged it. He added that negotiations with the government were held on Khan’s instructions, “but the authorities had no mandate.” He said what occurred on February 8 was repeated on November 23, arguing that public trust in the democratic process was deteriorating. He also claimed that 95 percent of voters abstained in the recent by-elections in solidarity with the PTI founder.
The chief minister said the refusal to allow the meeting had only increased concerns within the party. He also criticised the federal government, alleging that the IMF had effectively issued a charge sheet against it and accusing officials of misappropriating Rs5,300 billion without facing accountability.
Afridi vowed that those responsible for violating the public mandate would be held answerable. He added that he would represent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the NFC and safeguard the province’s rights, noting that the government had postponed the FFC meeting four times.
