Rana Arshad says entry of KP delegation in Punjab depends on law enforcement, warns against incitement
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was detained at a Punjab Police roadblock near Chakri on Thursday while traveling to Lahore to attend the Punjab Assembly session, according to officials in his office.
Speaking at the scene, Afridi criticized the barricades and said that “sealing off accommodation and food areas is a clear sign of fear.” He said Punjab officials were “not elected representatives of the people” and alleged that blocking the movement of public representatives was an attempt to suppress political activity.
“The public knows that fearful rulers take decisions behind closed doors,” says CM Afridi.
According to a statement issued by the KP Chief Minister’s Secretariat on December 24, Afridi also addressed the workers of the Insaf Students Federation (ISF), saying that the PTI and its affiliated bodies “base their politics on resistance”.
He said preparations for a political mobilization in Lahore had begun under the leadership of PTI founder Imran Khan and urged young activists to prioritize discipline and organization over emotions. Afridi said the success of any street movement depended on a solid organizational structure, directing the ISF to activate student bodies in universities and colleges.
He added that the party’s strength lies at the grassroots level and said organizational work must be completed at the district, union council and district levels.
Punjab MPA Rana Arshad said the KP delegation would be welcome in the province but had to “follow the law”, adding that there was no place for incitement or violence.
“When Gandapur came, he took out an AK-47 and vandalized vehicles in Shahdara,” says Arshad. The law has been respected in the Punjab Assembly, and if armed groups or individuals come, they will not be treated as if they are above the law. He added that if there is a strike or protest related to May 9 or February 8, it can be done peacefully. They will start from Punjab, but there will be no place for the instigators. Lahore cannot tolerate lack of seriousness in the Punjab Assembly or in the city.
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He said the law allowed for peaceful protests, even over issues related to May 9 or February 8, but warned that “there will be no room for instigators.”
Arshad said the KP chief minister should assist with protocol and security but “not turn the Punjab Assembly into a political meeting place”.
Earlier in the day, Afridi stopped in the Bhera area, where a luncheon was held in his honor. Supporters gathered at the spot and chanted PTI slogans, according to party workers.
The KP chief minister later arrived in Lahore and after attending the assembly session, he is scheduled to visit Liberty Market, officials said.
