Pakistan’s KP chief minister says denied meeting with jailed party chief again

Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, said on Tuesday that he was once again denied a meeting with former Prime Minister Imran Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, despite a court order permitting the visit.

Afridi, who took office as KP chief minister on October 15, first attempted to meet Khan the following day but was refused entry. He subsequently petitioned the Islamabad High Court, which authorized the visit. Monday marked his third attempt to meet the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, but the delegation was reportedly turned away again, prompting Afridi to sharply criticize the decision.

Arriving at the prison alongside senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja and PTI leader Barrister Gohar Khan, Afridi told reporters that the delegation was denied access without explanation. “The High Court and Supreme Court have both issued orders allowing us to meet, yet we were not permitted. The question is not why I couldn’t meet him, it’s why we are being prevented,” he said.

Speaking outside the jail, Afridi said he sought “policy guidance” from Khan and criticized the government for acting “through force rather than upholding the Constitution.” He also alleged that Punjab had halted wheat supplies to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, causing a flour shortage, and said the provincial government intends to file a contempt petition over the blocked visit.

Meanwhile, only one of Khan’s sisters, Dr Uzma Khan, was allowed to meet him, while Aleema Khan and Naureen Khan were denied entry. Aleema Khan told reporters that her brother had expressed fears of being “completely isolated.”

Dr Uzma Khan later said that Khan praised recent public gatherings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and instructed Afridi to select his cabinet independently. “He made it clear that he has not nominated anyone for ministerial posts,” she said, adding that Khan directed all party communications to go through lawyer Salman Akram Raja.

Khan, imprisoned since August 2023 over multiple corruption convictions, instructed party leaders to file fresh petitions in the Supreme Court and High Court to secure visitation rights, Uzma Khan said.