No Adiala visit without confirmation of meeting, says CM Afridi

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi declared on Thursday that he would not visit Adiala jail until after September 27th, unless the government officially confirmed a meeting with PTI leader Imran Khan. Afridi called for the closure of key government offices, including the Prime Minister's Office, as he believed they had become dysfunctional.

At a press conference outside Adiala jail, Afridi stated the prison's conditions suggested the authorities were not willing to permit him to meet with Khan. He noted his inclusion in the list of individuals intending to meet Khan that day, warning that, should the meeting not occur, PTI supporters would block roads nationwide from 10 PM on Thursday as part of the party's "D-Chowk" protest.

Afridi urged party members to prepare for the street demonstrations, carrying national and PTI flags, to convey the message that the treatment of Imran Khan since April 2022 was intolerable. According to PTI media, protests took place across various cities, with supporters chanting slogans in favor of Khan. Afridi accused government ministers of acknowledging the country's and its system's paralysis, claiming that the government had failed.

He stated that the people of Pakistan desired their issues to be resolved, which could only be achieved through Imran Khan. Afridi stated his intention to march towards Islamabad on September 27th alongside two million people, urging PTI workers and the public to focus on that date, describing it as a "nightmare" for the authorities.

He claimed a large number of supporters had gathered in Khyber district at short notice on Wednesday, and a similar street movement would be launched in other districts, with more than two million people participating in the September 27 mobilization. Afridi added that a similar street movement would occur in Bannu on Sunday. He warned that anyone carrying the flags of Pakistan and PTI would be considered a supporter of Imran Khan.

Afridi's warning emerged amidst ongoing PTI protests and demands for access to their incarcerated founder. The Islamabad High Court ordered the jail administration to arrange meetings with family members and lawyers on Tuesdays and with party leaders on Thursdays, but these orders have not been implemented for several months. In a later media interview, Afridi mentioned court orders allowing meetings with Khan twice a week, but the court orders were not being enforced.

He stated that they had filed applications in courts for the implementation of court decisions, but the courts were helpless. Afridi said the prime minister also expressed his intention to inquire about the meeting and inform him afterward. If critical government offices were dysfunctional, they should be shut down as they wasted public funds.

Afridi said that poor people paid taxes, and that money was meant to benefit them. He also noted that ministers were saying the system had collapsed, with laborers, industrialists, and all segments of society expressing dissatisfaction, saying the country was not going in the right direction. Afridi criticized Shehbaz Sharif for failing to deliver despite receiving full support from the establishment, as he had promised to change the fate of the masses.