Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for Information and Public Relations, Shafi Jan, has alleged that the KP Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi was once again denied permission to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, calling it “the worst example of political revenge.”According to Shafi Jan, barriers were placed to stop the KP Chief Minister from entering the jail premises despite having clear court orders permitting the meeting.

He said this was the tenth time that the young Chief Minister had been prevented from meeting the former prime minister, terming the action a “clear contempt of court.” The provincial information aide also condemned the recent use of water cannons on Imran Khan’s sisters and PTI leadership near Adiala Jail, describing it as a “shameful example of state oppression.” He warned that such harsh tactics only exposed the government’s intolerance, adding that PTI remained the most popular political party in the country.

 Shafi Jan further stated that on Tuesday night, PTI parliamentary leader Shahid Khattak suffered a fractured leg due to alleged police manhandling outside Adiala Jail. He said this incident “laid bare the government’s attitude” towards political opponents. “The use of force against women and peaceful political workers is not only shameful but a serious violation of basic constitutional rights,” Shafi Jan declared. He warned that suppressing peaceful protests amounted to undermining the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan. 

He criticized the narrative being advanced by the ruling PML-N that labels PTI as an “enemy of the country,” calling it dangerous and irresponsible. Linking political differences with treason, he said, was harmful to national unity. “The people are watching everything. The truth cannot be suppressed by force, and Imran Khan’s millions of voters will remember every excess,” he added. Earlier, the Special Assistant visited PTI parliamentary leader Shahid Khattak at the National Assembly to inquire about his health following the injuries allegedly caused by police harassment.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)