By Asif Naveed
ISLAMABAD / RAWALPINDI; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was again denied permission to meet jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Tuesday, amid uncertainty over the formation of the provincial cabinet and reports of growing divisions within the party.
The KP chief minister arrived at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi along with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja. However, jail authorities did not allow Afridi to meet the PTI founder, while Imran Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, was permitted to see the former prime minister.
Speaking to journalists outside the prison, Afridi said he should be allowed to meet Imran Khan to seek policy guidelines, noting that he was the PTI founder’s nominated and appointed chief minister. He questioned why such a meeting was being blocked and warned that the move could amount to contempt of court, as the Islamabad High Court had already issued directions permitting such meetings.
Afridi accused the federal government of governing through force rather than upholding the constitution and the rule of law. He also alleged that the Punjab government had halted wheat supplies to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, creating a flour shortage in the province.
The chief minister said he had received congratulatory messages from the chief ministers of Sindh and Balochistan, as well as the governor of Sindh, but added that Punjab’s leadership had yet to offer congratulations. He said that several political figures had also reached out, and that the corps commander had personally visited him to convey his congratulations.
It was the third time since his election as chief minister on October 13 that Afridi had been denied a meeting with the PTI founder. Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 after his conviction in the Toshakhana case and is facing multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism.
Soon after taking office, Afridi had announced plans to meet Khan to discuss policy matters and the formation of his cabinet. PTI leaders, including Afridi, had approached the Islamabad High Court to ensure that such a meeting could take place, but despite the court’s order, prison authorities have not yet allowed the meeting.
Following the denial, Afridi briefly staged a sit-in outside Adiala Jail, demanding that the court’s order be implemented.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that internal rifts within PTI are deepening. Senior leaders, including Barrister Gohar Khan, former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Senator Shibli Faraz, and Sheikh Waqas Akram, are said to have expressed concern over the aggressive statements made by Afridi and PTI’s provincial president Junaid Akbar.
According to party insiders, these leaders believe that such confrontational remarks could endanger the party’s only government. Ali Amin Gandapur reportedly warned that provocative rhetoric could make the KP setup vulnerable and urged the leadership to focus on protecting and sustaining it.
There are growing concerns among party members that public statements seen as targeting the military establishment could lead to political instability and possibly spark unrest similar to the May 9 events — a scenario the PTI leadership is eager to avoid.
