DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi has warned that if foreign investors affiliated with PTI were not protected in Punjab, similar action could be taken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said this issue would be raised in the provincial cabinet and a full response would be formulated.
Afridi was speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) alongside PTI MPA and former senator Aurangzeb, a foreign investor whose property in Murree is reportedly being demolished despite legal approvals.
Aurangzeb claimed that his 20-kanal property on Bank Road, Murree, where he is constructing a high-rise building named Ashley Cartages, was facing targeted demolition. He alleged the action was politically motivated due to the proximity of his property to that of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s son-in-law and daughter.
He stated that although he has obtained all required No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Murree Municipal Corporation, Environmental Corporation, and other relevant institutions—and had permission from the Supreme Court of Pakistan—his property is still being razed with heavy machinery.
Aurangzeb further alleged that pressure is being exerted on him to join the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and his refusal has led to retaliatory action. He claimed to have invested $4 million in partnership with investors from the United Arab Emirates, but said the current political climate discourages foreign investment unless it is aligned with the ruling party in Punjab.
He appealed to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Army Chief General Asim Munir, and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to intervene. He demanded the formation of a joint action committee to investigate the matter and ensure justice, asserting that his project was legal and the demolition is unjustified.
Aurangzeb warned that such politically motivated actions were eroding investor confidence in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab, and called for the Supreme Court’s decisions to be upheld.
