K-P CM barred from meeting Imran again

Says 'some individuals have become more powerful than institutions'

RAWALPINDI:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was on Thursday stopped from meeting PTI founder Imran Khan for the fifth consecutive time after police denied him access beyond the Dahgal checkpoint leading to Adiala Jail.

Talking to reporters outside the checkpoint, Afridi said decisions were being made "behind closed doors" without taking the provinces into confidence. "Any policy formulated without consulting us will not be acceptable, just like before," he asserted.

He said certain individuals, "blinded by bias", had accused the PTI of attempting to provoke unrest, but stressed that he had consistently worked to dispel the misconceptions shaping their views.

"Some people have become more powerful than institutions, because people are telling us they cannot do anything unless they receive orders from the top," Afridi said, adding that he did not know who was issuing the orders.

Lamenting the current state of affairs, the K-P chief minister said the political situation had worsened due to such actions. "If they had allowed us to meet the party founder, things would not have taken this turn. Even after court orders, they are denying us access, and they alone are responsible for this injustice," he said.

Afridi criticised the federal government for "failing" to ensure provincial consultation on key national issues, including border security. "They claimed not even a bird could cross the fence — then how are the terrorists getting through?" he questioned.

Referring to ongoing terrorism, he said, "Soldiers are my brothers, and so are the martyrs among civilians. We know the pain and consequences of military operations. You should understand our suffering too".

Afridi reiterated that policies imposed without provincial input would not be accepted and urged the federal authorities to allow him to meet Imran as per judicial directives.