KP CM Skips PM’s Meeting, Seeks Court Nod to Meet Imran

By Imroze Pakistan Desk

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review progress on the repatriation of Afghan refugees — a session notably missing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who later sought court permission to meet PTI founder Imran Khan in prison.

According to an official statement, the meeting was attended by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan. KP was represented by Muzzammil Aslam, the province’s adviser and former federal finance spokesperson.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), CM Afridi said he had chosen not to attend the meeting without first consulting Imran Khan, calling it “an insult to the people’s mandate” to do so otherwise.

“Until I meet [Imran Khan] and receive policy guidelines, participating in such a meeting would be an insult to the mandate of the province’s people,” he wrote.

Afridi expressed hope that the federal government would facilitate his meeting with the imprisoned PTI founder “at the earliest,” allowing him to consult on provincial governance and policy.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal urged national unity and institutional integrity in remarks to a private news channel, saying the country “must rise above personal and political interests.”

“We must put Pakistan first. Political rivalries should never come at the cost of weakening the state,” he said.

He cautioned that political instability undermines public trust and long-term development, emphasizing that officials in key positions — including CM Afridi — must focus on governance rather than political theatrics.

“This is a time to deliver, not to be distracted by personal or political motives,” Iqbal added.

Later in the day, Afridi approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking permission to meet Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, where the PTI founder has been imprisoned since August 2023 in a £190 million corruption case and faces additional anti-terrorism charges linked to the May 9 riots.

According to Afridi’s petition, the chief minister argued that he was “constitutionally responsible” for provincial governance and “morally obliged” to seek guidance from Imran on sensitive provincial matters, including the formation of his cabinet.

Afridi also wrote to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, requesting that arrangements be made for “periodical meetings” with the PTI founder under official supervision. His letter cited governance, economic challenges, law and order, and inter-provincial relations — particularly restrictions on wheat trade with Punjab — as urgent issues requiring Imran’s counsel.

Afridi was elected chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday following the controversial resignation of Ali Amin Gandapur. The Peshawar High Court upheld his election as constitutional and directed the KP governor to administer the oath by Wednesday afternoon.