PTI leadership goes into hiding
PTI
Most members of the former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) cabinet have reportedly gone into hiding amid fears of arrest following the imposition of governor's rule and emergency in the province. Details have also emerged regarding the protective custody of former chief minister Sohail Afridi and other senior PTI leaders.
According to sources, 16 ministers, six advisers, eight special assistants and 23 parliamentary secretaries have remained out of public view for five days. Their mobile phones are reportedly switched off, making it difficult to contact them.
The sources said the provincial cabinet and PTI's provincial leadership began distancing themselves from Afridi on the night of October 10-11, as reports emerged that the federal government had decided to impose emergency rule. The move was formally announced on October 11.
Afridi had reached the Chief Minister's House from Mardan on October 10 when, according to sources, he was informed during a core committee meeting that the federal government had decided to impose emergency rule.
Several of his close associates reportedly left the Chief Minister's House one by one. When Afridi was taken into protective custody the following day, members of his inner circle were also absent, the sources said.
Two cabinet members, Fazal Shakoor and Dr Amjad Ali, had allegedly been abducted even before the imposition of governor's rule. The PTI has separately claimed that eight members of the provincial assembly and three members of the National Assembly are missing.
In a separate account of the October 11 operation, sources said the process to take Afridi into protective custody began at noon at the Chief Minister's House. He was found alone in his room after his close associates had left.
A team that included a senior police officer met the former chief minister and remained with him for around 45 minutes, according to the sources. Afridi appeared upset and disappointed with the conduct of the PTI leadership, they added.
During the meeting, officials asked him about his plans for the long march. Afridi reportedly said he had not intended to take the march to Islamabad and that talks with the government, involving JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, had taken place the previous night.
According to the sources, Afridi told the officials that the federal government had agreed to the demands for a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan and his transfer to a hospital.
He said discussions had also taken place with party leaders and that he had been waiting for instructions to announce the end of the march.
Asked about proposed amendments to the Police Act, Afridi reportedly said he had not intended to amend the law but had raised the issue to exert pressure.
Official sources said Afridi was neither handcuffed nor placed in a prison van. Instead, he was moved in a vehicle to a secure location, they added.
Provincial Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati was also taken into protective custody from the Speaker's House. PTI leader Junaid Akbar, a provincial lawmaker, a party social media official and former Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister Khalid Khurshid were also present there and taken into custody.
The sources said the operation to take Afridi, Swati, Akbar and the other individuals into protective custody was completed in around two hours. They were subsequently moved to a secure location.