Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Friday morning ended an overnight sit-in outside Adiala Jail, lamenting that authorities have yet to provide any information regarding the health of incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
This marked the eighth time Afridi has been denied a meeting with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder. Immediately after ending the sit-in, he proceeded to Islamabad High Court (IHC) to push for implementation of orders regarding weekly meetings with Khan.
Addressing journalists prior to departing Adiala, Afridi noted that dozens of workers had spent the entire night protesting. “If we have to spend our whole lives here for the PTI founder, we will do so,” he said, stressing that the party would not retreat from its legitimate demands for information about Khan.
Maintaining that he had exercised all “constitutional and legal options” to secure a meeting with Khan, Afridi questioned what route was left for him to meet his leader. He lashed out at the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), alleging that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was allowed to meet groups of 50 people during his time in incarceration.
On his intent to approach the IHC, the chief minister said the courts should ensure implementation of their orders or risk the country devolving into the “law of the jungle.”
He said the authorities must decide who they are standing with. “If they continue with this attitude, then we will take a final option,” he said, without offering any details.
Among the prominent politicians who joined the overnight sit-in were Mahmood Khan Achakzai, chief of the Tehreek Tahafuz Ain-e-Pakistan (TTAP), and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. Several members of the KP cabinet were also in attendance.
The incarcerated Khan has not been allowed to meet either family, friends or PTI representatives since Nov. 4.