Islamabad, October 17, 2025: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking permission to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail.
Afridi, who was elected provincial chief minister earlier this week, was denied a meeting with the incarcerated PTI leader during his visit to the prison on Thursday. Imran has been in Adiala Jail since August 2023, serving a sentence in the £190 million corruption case while also facing trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9 riots.
In his petition—filed through counsel Syed Ali Bukhari—Afridi argued that, as chief minister, he was under both “legal and moral obligation” to seek guidance from Imran Khan on governance, cabinet formation, and other provincial matters. The writ petition named the federal interior secretary, Punjab home secretary, inspector general of prisons, and superintendent of Adiala Jail as respondents.
Afridi stated that official letters seeking permission for the meeting were sent to the Interior Ministry and Punjab Home Department on October 15 but went unanswered. He added that a phone call to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for assistance also yielded no response.
In a separate letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, the KP CM requested that arrangements be made for regular, supervised meetings with Imran, citing the “public interest” and “urgent provincial concerns,” including inter-provincial trade disruptions such as Punjab’s halt of wheat supplies.
Afridi also posted on X (formerly Twitter), apologising for missing a federal meeting on agriculture and Afghan refugees, saying it would be “an insult to the people’s mandate” to attend without consulting Imran first.
His election as chief minister on Monday came amid controversy after opposition parties walked out of the assembly session and uncertainty surrounded the resignation of outgoing CM Ali Amin Gandapur. The Peshawar High Court later upheld the constitutionality of Afridi’s election, directing KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to administer the oath, which took place on Wednesday.
