Imran’s jail detention
All constitutional and democratic avenues had so far been exhausted without meaningful redress: CM KP
DLP Report
RAWALPINDI
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Thursday announced that PTI workers would hold peaceful protests at major intersections across the country at 10pm, after he was once again denied a meeting with former prime minister Imran Khan at Adiala Jail.
Speaking to the media outside the jail, the chief minister said judicial orders allowing meetings with Imran Khan had repeatedly not been implemented. He said the provincial government had approached the courts seeking contempt proceedings against those responsible, but regretted that the matter was not being heard.
Mr Afridi said all constitutional and democratic avenues had so far been exhausted without meaningful redress. He alleged that PTI was being treated as a “second-class political entity”, contrary to the principles of democracy and equality before the law.
He said the Constitution guaranteed the right to peaceful protest and announced that, as previously communicated, every major intersection across the country would become a focal point for peaceful demonstrations at 10pm.
He called upon PTI workers to gather peacefully in their respective areas while carrying the national and party flags. He said the protests would send a message that the treatment of Imran Khan since April 2022 was unacceptable and needed to be addressed.
The chief minister questioned the effectiveness of the judicial system if court orders could not be implemented, saying the situation raised serious questions about the authority and institutional independence of the courts.
He also criticised the functioning of state institutions, saying public bodies funded through taxpayers’ money should be able to take decisions within their lawful mandate without waiting for external approval.
Mr Afridi alleged that the federal government’s own statements suggested that the country’s governance system was facing serious challenges. He said industrialists, young people and other sections of society were increasingly uncertain about their future and accused the government of lacking a coherent policy framework.
He expressed concern that the prevailing situation was weakening young people’s confidence in the courts, democracy and public institutions. According to him, the younger generation was seeking protection of its electoral mandate, access to justice and credible policies for a better future.
The chief minister described Imran Khan as the leader capable of meeting these expectations and called his continued detention in Adiala Jail unjust. He said the former prime minister represented a guarantee for Pakistan’s security, national cohesion and future.
Mr Afridi also said his visit to Adiala Jail on Thursday would be his last before Sept 27.
