DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi has written a formal letter of protest to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, expressing strong resentment over what he described as inappropriate, deliberate and unconstitutional behavior during his recent visit to Lahore.
In the letter, the KP chief minister stated that the manner in which his visit was handled was not a result of negligence or an administrative lapse, but a deliberate act that undermined his constitutional position and damaged inter-provincial dignity.
“I visited Lahore as the representative of over 40 million people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the treatment meted out to me was in no way befitting a public representative,” he wrote.
The chief minister further stated that residents of Lahore were unnecessarily inconvenienced during his visit, with markets and public places being closed, and even a motorway rest area being shut down, creating hardship for the general public.
He alleged that a coordinated campaign was launched against his visit on social media, where it was irresponsibly linked to drug smuggling. He claimed that this campaign was carried out under the supervision of the Punjab government with the apparent aim of maligning his personality.
“Such behavior and tactics were designed to ridicule and humiliate, and cannot be ignored under any circumstances,” the letter said, adding that administrative measures were deliberately used in a manner that threatened harmony among the federating units.
The KP chief minister warned that these actions amounted to an attempt to damage inter-provincial relations and weaken national cohesion. He strongly protested against what he termed as objectionable conduct and expressed hope that such practices would be rectified and avoided in the future.
Afridi stated that the letter should be treated as a formal protest and placed on record for any future constitutional, legal or inter-provincial proceedings.
