Shafi slams ban on IK's meetings

Special Assistant to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations, Shafi Jan, has accused the federal and Punjab governments of enforcing an undeclared ban on meetings between imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his family, lawyers, and political leaders.

In a strongly worded press statement, Jan claimed that despite explicit court directives, authorities are consistently denying access to the former prime minister, who is detained at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. He highlighted that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi possesses orders from the Islamabad High Court permitting a meeting with Imran Khan, yet these have not been honored.

Jan went further, criticizing the Adiala Jail Superintendent, describing him as having become excessively empowered to the point of disregarding the Constitution, laws, and judicial rulings. He expressed regret that a contempt of court petition filed against the superintendent has not been scheduled for hearing.

The aide emphasized that Adiala Jail falls under the administrative control of the Punjab government, with the superintendent serving as a subordinate employee of that province. He alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, driven by political vendetta, is deliberately obstructing meetings with Imran Khan.

Extending his critique to federal-provincial relations, Jan accused the central government of discriminatory treatment toward the elected PTI-led administration in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. He stated that only Rs550 million has been allocated for the province under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), while Rs4,758 billion due under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award remains withheld.

In contrast, Jan pointed to reports that the federal government has provided Rs465 billion to Punjab for a motorway project, describing the disparity as deeply regrettable and indicative of bias against K-P.

Jan further charged that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) prioritizes personal ambitions over national development, funded by public taxes. He cited the purchase of an aircraft worth Rs11 billion by Maryam Nawaz as an example of indulgence, while highlighting widespread corruption at the federal level, including an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report allegedly identifying Rs5,300 billion in graft by the ruling coalition, a matter he said brings shame to Pakistan domestically and internationally.

Turning to economic hardships, Jan condemned the recent sharp increase in petroleum product prices, which added Rs55 per litre to petrol costs, terming it a petrol bomb dropped on the public.