The sit-in began Thursday night and lasted until 8 a.m. Friday; Five stratified checkpoints established around Adiala
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Suhail Afridi takes part in a sit-in at Factory Naka near Adiala Jail on Friday. SCREEN CAPTURE
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Suhail Afridi on Friday morning ended his nearly 15-hour sit-in at Factory Naka near Adiala Jail after a night of negotiations with jail officials, none of which gave him the assurances he had sought.
Afridi had started the protest around 5:15 pm on Thursday after authorities once again denied him permission to meet the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, the eighth such denial since he took office.
The sit-in continued until 8 a.m. Friday, drawing party workers to the scene as talks continued into the night.
Read more: Aleema files contempt plea against Adiala jailers for refusing to meet Imran
Announcing the decision to end the protest, Afridi told reporters that he had exhausted “all constitutional and legal options” in his efforts to secure a meeting. “What path do I have left to meet my leader?” he asked, adding that despite a court order, neither he nor other PTI leaders had been allowed access to the party’s jailed founding president.
Afridi also recalled earlier incidents in which the founder’s sisters were detained on Adiala Road, alleging that they had been humiliated. “All this is being done to bankrupt the founder. Bushra Bibi is in the spotlight,” he said. He stated that in the past “those who fled to London” received dozens of visitors within the same facilities.
“As I am here, the court orders are not being implemented,” he added. “It’s been all night and now morning has come, but I’m not allowed to meet him.”
Afridi announced that he would now approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC), saying he would inform the Chief Justice that three judges had issued written directives allowing the meeting. “If the courts cannot ensure compliance with their own orders, the country will fall into the law of the jungle,” he warned.
After their departure for Islamabad, the PTI workers dispersed from the protest site.
Read: Police arrest Haleem Adil Sheikh and more than 20 PTI workers at Karachi Press Club protest
Earlier, Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, speaking at the sit-in, said the protest had not been planned.
According to him, Afridi hoped that written orders from the Supreme Court and the High Court would be enough to meet the party founder. “The prime minister saw that no one here understands the language of decency,” he said, describing Afridi’s decision to stay on the streets as the act of a “democratic Pashtun.”
Achakzai claimed that the sit-in could have continued until the court issued another directive and suggested that if the PTI wanted the founder’s sisters to be allowed a meeting, the party should “use the power of the people to stop the parliamentary and Senate proceedings.”
He also said that it was “a shame” that the assemblies continued to function while the party founder remained behind bars. Achakzai added that he and other leaders would accompany Afridi to the IHC after Fajr prayers.
Security is reinforced around Adiala prison
Meanwhile, security around Adiala Jail was put on high alert overnight due to the evolving law and order situation, with five stratified checkpoints set up around the facility for the first time. According to police sources, more than 700 officers and 23 inspectors were deployed in rotating shifts as part of an indefinite security plan.
Heavy contingents were posted at Naka Dahgal, Gate One, Gate Five, Naka Factory and Gorakhpur, with tasks divided into two 12-hour shifts. SHOs from 12 police stations, along with women officers, were assigned to the deployment.
Read also:FO slams Afghan link to US shooting, Tajik drone attack
Personnel from the Riot Control Force, Punjab Police and local police were equipped with rubber bullets, tear gas, batons, shields and riot gear. Ten traffic officers and a vehicle lifter were also stationed near the jail, while prisoner vans remained on standby. Adiala’s guard force was instructed to remain available after completing its judicial duties.
Police sources said SHOs and personnel from Gujar Khan, Mandra, Kahuta, Kallar Syedan, Dhamial, Chakri, Rawat, Chontra, Women Police, Morgah, Cantt and Saddar Baironi stations had been deployed to reinforce the security cordon. SP Saddar was tasked with supervising the agreements.
