Khawaja Asif terms Release Imran Khan Force \u201cunconstitutional and illegal\u201d
\n Islamabad
\nDefence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi\u2019s job \u201cwas at risk\u201d, saying his recently announced \u201cRelease Imran Khan Force\u201d was unconstitutional and illegal.
\n\u201cThe KP chief minister announced the release force to save his job. Except for the federal government, no one has the right to create any force,\u201d he told Geo News on Friday.
\nThe defence minister clarified that there had never been any discussion about moving the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) abroad or to Bani Gala, Imran\u2019s residence in Islamabad.
\n\u201cPerhaps, approaches were made regarding facilities,\u201d he said, adding, \u201csome try to keep their shop open through such talk\u201d.
\nThe remarks from Asif follow CM Afridi\u2019s announcement of the force to work towards the release of the former prime minister, imprisoned since August 2023.
\nThe KP CM made the announcement on February 18 after lawmakers from the PTI and the multi-party opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aiyeen Pakistan (TTAP) called off their days-long sit-in at Parliament House in Islamabad.
\nAddressing a press conference outside the Supreme Court, CM Afridi said that he had been assigned the responsibility of leading a \u201cstreet movement\u201d by the incarcerated PTI founder.
\nHe alleged that court orders were being \u201cthrown into the dustbin\u201d and claimed that the PTI founding chairman is still being denied access to his personal doctors.
\nAnnouncing the formation of the force, the provincial chief executive said the force would be formally registered and would pursue a peaceful struggle. He added that members of the force would take an oath in Peshawar immediately after Eidul-Fitr.
\nThe force, he further said, would have a clear chain of command and that Imran Khan would decide who would be given command responsibilities. He stressed that preparations would be completed before launching any struggle.
\nAccording to Afridi, the movement would be aimed at the supremacy of the Constitution, democracy and an independent media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Khawaja Asif terms Release Imran Khan Force \u201cunconstitutional and illegal\u201d Islamabad Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi\u2019s job \u201cwas at risk\u201d, saying his recently announced \u201cRelease Imran Khan Force\u201d was unconstitutional and illegal. \u201cThe KP chief minister announced the release force to save his job. Except for the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":532454,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-532433","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n