PTI Alleges Arrest of KP CM Afridi, Junaid Akbar
News Desk
PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has alleged that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and the party’s provincial president, Junaid Akbar Khan, have been arrested amid reports of the imposition of Governor’s Rule and a state of emergency in the province.
A post published on Junaid Akbar Khan’s official X account claimed that both leaders had been taken into custody. However, authorities had not issued any official confirmation or denial of the reported arrests at the time of filing this report.
Separately, videos circulating on social media appear to show an empty container used by the chief minister during the PTI’s long march. Claims accompanying the footage suggest that Afridi and the march participants left the container in Charsadda and subsequently disappeared.
The circumstances surrounding the footage and the claims made about it remain unverified.
The developments follow a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday, where the imposition of Governor’s Rule and a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was reportedly approved under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.
Following the reported cabinet approval and presidential ratification by President Asif Ali Zardari, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi is expected to take over the province’s administrative responsibilities under the proposed arrangement.
The reported plan also includes emergency measures for the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and adjoining regions under Article 232 of the Constitution.
In addition, separate emergency measures are reportedly being considered for 12 districts facing serious security challenges: Kurram, Upper Waziristan, Lower Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan.
The situation remains uncertain, with official clarification on the alleged arrests and the implementation of the proposed emergency measures still awaited.
