Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Friday pressed ahead with his bid to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, filing a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking permission for the meeting.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, CM Afridi arrived at the court accompanied by Khan’s sister Aleema Khan and party leader Ali Bukhari, where he attempted to call on the Chief Justice.
The request, however, was declined, prompting the chief minister to leave the IHC secretary’s office shortly afterwards.
Speaking to reporters outside the court, CM Sohail Afridi announced the sit-in held outside Adiala Jail had now been called off.
He announced that PTI parliamentarians from across the country would stage a peaceful demonstration outside the IHC on Tuesday, after which they would proceed to Adiala Jail to outline the party’s future strategy.
KP Advocate General Shah Faisal, who was also present, confirmed that the Chief Justice had refused to meet the chief minister.
He added that the IHC Chief Justice was not meeting anyone, including the advocate general or any lawyers.
Today morning, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi ended his sit-in on Adiala Road after spending 16 hours protesting for permission to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan inside Adiala Jail.
Afridi reached Islamabad to file a petition in the Islamabad High Court against the administration for denying him access to the former prime minister, currently imprisoned in Adiala Jail.
Other participants of the demonstration followed him to the federal capital in their vehicles as the chief minister prepared to seek judicial approval for the meeting.
According to a report, Afridi, accompanied by Mishal Yousafzai and several PTI workers, travelled to Islamabad via Gorakhpur.
Senior PTI leaders, including former minister Shaukat Yousafzai, MNA Shahid Khattak, MPA Meena Khan, and Shafiullah Jan, also took part in the protest. Dr Shafqat Ayaz, retired Colonel Amirullah Marwat, Nadia Khattak and Fazal Naz later joined the sit-in, while MNA Mahmood Khan Achakzai and MPA Tanveer Aslam Raza arrived briefly but departed around midday.
Most PTI supporters endured the bitter cold through the night, sleeping inside their vehicles at the Adiala Road in Rawalpindi.
The jail administration, for its part, assured Afridi that arrangements for his meeting with Imran Khan would only be made after examining a court order, prompting the chief minister to demand a written guarantee before ending the protest.
In stark contrast to the provisions made for PTI leaders and activists, who were served food, breakfast and tea, the officers and personnel in Afridi’s official security squad complained they were left without meals throughout the night.
Squad members privately remarked that they were made to stand in freezing temperatures without support, recalling that former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur used to arrange proper meals for them.
Some personnel said that had they been notified earlier about the sit-in, they would have come prepared. During the long standoff, Afridi managed to rest for two hours in a room at a nearby petrol station.
Aleema Khan, Salman Akram Raja file separate petition in ATC
Separately, Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, and senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja on Friday filed an application in the Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court seeking permission to meet the incarcerated former prime minister. The petition was submitted through advocate Faisal Malik.
According to the application, the hearing of the GHQ attack case is set for December 3, and the defence team requires consultation with Imran Khan ahead of the proceedings.
It further states that Khan’s sisters have not been allowed to meet him for an extended period, causing deep concern within the family. The plea requests the court to grant access to both his legal team and his family members.
The court issued a notice to the prosecution regarding the request and scheduled the hearing for tomorrow. The matter will be taken up by Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Amjad Ali Shah.
Reporters: Irshad Qureshi and Ehtisham Kiyani