Afridi defends Kasim’s comments at UNHRC as a son’s natural concern for his father

ISLAMABAD:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday defended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s son Kasim Khan’s recent statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), describing it as a natural expression of concern for his father rather than a political act.

Earlier this week, Kasim Khan had urged the UNHRC to intervene and pressure the Pakistani government for his father’s immediate release.

It highlighted several alleged violations, including arbitrary detention, isolation, denial of medical care, restricted family visits and trial of civilians in military courts, stating that these actions contravened Pakistan’s obligations under the European Union’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus).

In response, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the PTI and Imran Khan’s family of acting against Pakistan’s national and economic interests, alleging that Kasim Khan’s statement undermined the country’s GSP Plus commercial status.

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The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) also condemned the comments, describing them as a “negative propaganda campaign” against Pakistan’s position on the EU.

FPCCI Senior Vice President Saqib Fayyaz Magoon said the extension of GSP Plus status until 2023 reflected Pakistan’s compliance with international law, with government institutions and the business community aligned with EU standards.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad on Sunday, Afridi criticized attempts to link Kasim’s comments to the GSP Plus deal, calling such reports a misrepresentation. He said the conversation, translated into Urdu to clarify the context, reflected a son’s natural concern for his father and had no political overtones.

He further argued that the real problem is the state of democracy in Pakistan. He claimed that democratic processes have been undermined in recent decades and cited alleged electoral fraud during the February 8 elections as an attack on democracy.

“While the people had given a clear mandate, a fake government was imposed outside Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” he said, warning that any loss of GSP Plus status would be a result of federal policies.

Afridi also accused the federal government of violating democratic freedoms and human rights, repressing journalists and acting against dissenting voices. “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right of every citizen, but the current environment restricts this right,” he said. He also expressed concern about the health of Imran Khan’s wife.

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On economic and environmental matters, the prime minister criticized the federal government for running the economy with loans and alleged mismanagement, claiming that 45 percent of KP is still green, while the “fake government” is clearing forests to create urban settlements.

He also claimed that the former prime minister is being unjustly imprisoned and subjected to inhuman treatment, along with the wife of the PTI founder, in violation of human rights.