'Afridi, some of his cabinet members have been taken into preventive custody,' confirms Talal

PESHAWAR:

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry confirmed on Monday that former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister Sohail Afridi and some of his cabinet members had been "taken into preventive custody," following the imposition of emergency and governor's rule in the province.

"Yes, I can confirm that the chief minister (Sohail Afridi) and some of his cabinet members have been taken into preventive custody," Chaudhry told Reuters.

If any of them have any cases to be tried against them, they will be charged and tried but the others will be released, he said, adding that the detentions happened on Sunday.

A day earlier, K-P Information Minister Shafi Jan claimed that Afridi had been arrested and urged people across the province to gather in Peshawar. However, at the time, no government official had confirmed his arrest or detention.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police in Peshawar said Afridi remained in police protective custody.

The DIG added that eight senior PTI leaders had been taken into protective custody following the imposition of emergency measures and governor’s rule in K-P. Those detained included Afridi, Junaid Akbar and K-P Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, he said.

Read: Schools, colleges in three K-P districts closed on Monday following emergency imposition

"Separately, 169 PTI workers were arrested in a crackdown in Swabi. The arrests were carried out in Shewa Adda, Yar Hussain, Razar, Swabi Khas, Topi, Lahor and Gadoon, among other areas of the district," the DIG said.

According to the DIG, those arrested included several local office-bearers and active PTI workers, saying that they were taken into custody over concerns that preparations for the party’s long march, which began on October 4, could disrupt law and order.

The DIG added that a heavy police contingent had been deployed across Swabi and that further arrests were expected.

Read More: PTI rejects emergency, governor's rule in K-P as unconstitutional, vows to continue struggle

Initially planning to launch the long march on September 27, Afridi on September 26 rescheduled the protest to take place on October 4 amid extensive security and traffic restrictions and continuing efforts to negotiate with the federal government.

Marathon talks between the government and the opposition on October 2 and 3 failed to find middle ground in an effort to ease tensions ahead of the long march, as both sides pressed competing demands and remained at an impasse. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja later said that the deadlock in negotiations with the federal government emerged over the issue of the counterterrorism policy in K-P.

Amid prevailing tensions, the breakdown of negotiations, and Afridi proceeding with the march, President Asif Ali Zardari signed off on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recommendation to impose emergency rule in K-P amid a deteriorating security situation and the provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism.

The proclamation said the provincial government had failed to take adequate measures against terrorism and referred to the governor's report highlighting a breakdown in the constitutional system.

Issued under Articles 232(1) and 234(1), the proclamation declared that the provincial government could not function in accordance with the Constitution under the prevailing circumstances. It empowered the federal government to direct the governor to assume some or all provincial government functions, while the powers of the provincial assembly would be exercised by Parliament or under its authority.

The chief minister, provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and advocate general ceased to hold office with immediate effect. The federal government subsequently authorised the deployment of Pakistan Army troops and assets under Article 245 to protect citizens, property and government installations for the duration of the emergency proclamation.

In light of the decision, the federal government took control of K-P's affairs, deploying the army to assist the civil administration, forming an 11-member advisory council and establishing a special administrative structure for 12 districts. Its members are Tariq Mahmood Pasha, Dr Amir Abdullah, Lieutenant General (retd) Nigar Johar, Samar Bilour, Dr Sarfaraz Ali, Aamir Javed, Dr M Irshad, Kifayatullah, Tayyab Qureshi, Usman Saifullah Khan and Asif Rafiq. Sanaullah Advocate was appointed the Provincial Advocate General.

 

With additional input from Reuters.