KP Governor Kundi says Sohail Afridi, assembly speaker 'in safe hands' after house arrest

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi assured on Sunday that Sohail Afridi and Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati were "in safe hands" after they were placed under house arrest. Afridi has not been seen since the Centre imposed governor’s rule and emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on October 11. Initially, a federal minister confirmed the next day that Afridi and some of his cabinet members were in preventative custody.

However, since then, no official details have been released, prompting Afridi's brother and Swati's cousin to approach the Peshawar High Court separately to seek their relative's release. During a TV programme on Geo News, Kundi stated that Afridi was "in safe hands" and that if there were no cases against him, he would be released.

He also mentioned that Swati was under house arrest and would be freed if there were no charges against him. Kundi criticized Afridi for allegedly committing "illegal and unconstitutional" acts while serving as the KP Assembly Speaker. The governor acknowledged that about 40 to 50 percent of the individuals placed in self-arrest or self-concealment.

Kundi defended the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule as the "absolute last option." He also expressed uncertainty about the emergency's duration, stating that it could potentially continue for longer. Regarding the potential need for dialogue with the Afghan Taliban, Kundi emphasized that his province's policy remained clear: "for now, we will not be holding talks with Afghanistan."