Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. Photo:
LAHORE:
The PML-N-led Punjab government appeared to go out of its way to deny the PTI any political show during Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s visit to Lahore as his first day in the city was overshadowed by a series of disturbing developments.
Regretting the unpleasant events of his first day in the provincial capital, Afridi expressed his complaint against the ill-treatment meted out by the Punjab police.
Responding to a question, he said that he had only encountered misconduct and disrespect in Punjab, but maintained that through his own conduct he would teach the Punjab government respect and good manners.
The KP chief minister arrived in Lahore on Friday for a three-day visit and despite the impediments, he pressed ahead with a busy political schedule. He spent an eventful day in the provincial capital, visiting residences of party leaders and holding meetings with PTI MPs and officials in the Punjab Assembly.
Towards the end of the day, Afridi also headed to the Freedom Roundabout, which remains a place of symbolic importance for the PTI, long considered the nerve center of its political activity in Lahore.
In anticipation of the visit, the Punjab Police had already taken steps to prevent PTI workers from reaching the area. Afridi and his delegation also faced what appeared to be a visibly hostile media presence in the Punjab Assembly, where the atmosphere suggested an attempt to cause a scene.
Earlier, the KP chief minister had entered Lahore with a large convoy comprising more than 60 vehicles at different points.
The convoy entered the city through Babu Sabu and moved towards Thokar Niaz Baig, but was intercepted by the police at Chakri, apparently to prevent it from gaining momentum.
Reacting to the situation, Afridi alleged that PTI workers were harassed at several places including Chakri and Bhera and were prevented from joining the convoy.
He called the circumstances “undemocratic” and compared them to “martial law-like conditions.”
Upon entering Lahore, Afridi said his vehicles were stopped at several junctions in the city and accused the Punjab government of creating unnecessary friction between provinces.
“These actions only increase inter-provincial hatred,” he said, adding that the people of Punjab had nevertheless given him a warm and enthusiastic welcome.
Addressing broader political issues, the KP chief minister rejected claims that the PTI founding president was a national threat and instead called him a “symbol of national unity”.
He accused the ruling coalition of large-scale corruption and criticized the sale of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), alleging that it was sold at a price below the value of luxury vehicles.
Later in the day, Afridi visited the residences of PTI leaders Nadeem Abbas Bara and lawyer Haider Majeed in Lahore. During these movements, the police erected temporary barriers and intermittently stopped the vehicles accompanying the convoy, causing several cars to be separated from the main protocol.
At the Punjab Assembly, security officials restricted entry and only allowed entry to people whose names were included on pre-approved lists.
PTI general secretary Salman Akram Raja was initially detained but later allowed entry, while Shaukat Basra was denied entry completely. These restrictions sparked heated exchanges between opposition members and assembly security personnel.
Inside the assembly, opposition leader Moeen Qureshi and several opposition MPAs including Farrukh Javed Moon, Brigadier (retd) Mushtaq, Imtiaz Sheikh, Nadia Kharral and Seemabia Tahir received the KP chief minister.
Tensions subsequently escalated into fights between the security personnel accompanying the KP chief minister and the security personnel of the Punjab Assembly when a large number of people entered the premises, disturbing the order.
Addressing the media in the assembly, Afridi said he was in Lahore to meet party leaders and MPs and would remain in the city till Sunday.
He said not only did the police misbehave with him in Chakri, but party leaders and workers were harassed, several arrested and detained.
“Fascism and injustice were on display in Punjab,” he said, adding that the treatment meted out to the PTI leaders during the visit reflected what the people of Punjab had been facing “day in and day out” for the last three years.
Referring to a press conference of the security establishment, Afridi said those who had brought the PML-N to power with the promise of economic revival must now face the economic reality of the country.
“Our GDP went from 6.2 per cent to less than 3 per cent, debt multiplied, industrial growth was negative – in fact, industries were leaving Pakistan,” he said.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s speech, the KP Prime Minister said that “whoever promised to sell his clothes, sold PIA.” He claimed that 30 million young Pakistanis had already left the country in search of greener pastures, while another 30 million were desperately trying to do so.
“If people were given the choice today, every embassy would have twenty million people queuing outside its doors,” he said, adding that people were deeply concerned about their safety and finances.
‘Fascist government’
He warned that those responsible for the current situation must be aware that “imposing decisions behind closed doors has consequences.”
He further alleged that the only objective of the “fascist government” was to crush the PTI, preventing it from holding rallies and blocking meetings with its “life president”, Imran Khan.
The KP prime minister was also chased by a journalist during his exit, who appeared to be trying to stir up more drama.
It is pertinent to mention that according to city reporters, hundreds of PTI workers were detained by the police before the arrival of the KP chief minister.
Police were also said to have strategically kept people away from Afridi so that their presence would not turn into a demonstration.
