PESHAWAR: The treasury and opposition benches in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday passed a unanimous resolution urging the federal and Punjab governments, as well as other relevant institutions, to allow Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in Adiala Jail.
According to the resolution, the chief minister wanted to discuss governance-related matters and the formation of the provincial cabinet with Imran Khan. The resolution, moved by ruling party MPA Ubaid-ur-Rehman, stated that the chief minister wanted to meet the PTI founder to seek his guidance on government, administrative affairs, and development works.
It maintained that the meeting was aimed at reviewing the government’s performance and policies, noting that it was the constitutional right of the elected chief executive of the province.
“This House demands that the federal and Punjab governments, the Interior Ministry, and other relevant bodies allow the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to meet Imran Khan in jail,” the resolution read.
It added that such decisions should not be influenced by personal grudges or political interests, emphasizing that the larger interests of the province and its people should be prioritized. Speaker Babar Saleem Swati chaired the assembly session, which was also addressed by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Opposition Leader Dr Ibadullah, and others.
Speaking on the floor of the House, the chief minister urged the federal government to release the province’s arrears and due share in national resources, calling on the opposition parties in the KP Assembly to support the PTI-led government.
“We support the talks held in Doha between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but elders, politicians, and parliamentarians from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should also be taken into confidence regarding these negotiations,” he said.
He added that the KP government also supported the repatriation and deportation of Afghan refugees who had lived in Pakistan for nearly four decades but stressed that they should be treated with respect and dignity.
The chief minister said that meeting his party chief was his constitutional right, but the federal government was creating hurdles in this regard. “I have written to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, requesting permission to meet Imran Khan so that I can discuss cabinet formation and other matters with him,” he said.
Opposition Leader Dr. Ibadullah assured the treasury benches that the opposition would support the provincial government in initiatives aimed at the welfare and progress of the province, particularly in improving law and order and security. “We are true well-wishers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and will support every positive step taken by the provincial government,” he added.
Earlier, ruling party MPAs Shafiullah Khan, Adnan Qadri, Dr. Amjad Ali, Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, and Awami National Party MPA Nisar Baz Khan welcomed the election of Sohail Afridi as chief minister. They hoped he would focus on the development of the merged tribal districts and take steps to improve the deteriorating law and order situation there.
