Rawalpindi, October 28, 2025: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was denied permission on Tuesday to meet jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, amid ongoing delays in the formation of the provincial cabinet.
Afridi arrived at the jail in Rawalpindi alongside PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, but was not allowed to meet the former prime minister. Instead, Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, was permitted entry.
Speaking to reporters outside the prison, the KP chief minister questioned the denial of access, saying he needed to meet the PTI founder to receive “policy guidelines” on provincial matters.
“I am the PTI founder’s nominated and appointed chief minister,” Afridi said. “Questions should be raised about why my meeting is being obstructed.”
Afridi accused the federal government of “governing through force rather than upholding the Constitution and rule of law”, warning that the continued obstruction of his meeting could amount to contempt of court.
He added that while he had received congratulatory messages from the chief ministers and governors of Sindh and Balochistan, Punjab’s leadership had yet to extend similar greetings.
“Instead of congratulations, Punjab has cut off our wheat supply, creating a flour crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he claimed.
Afridi said several political figures had congratulated him on his election, adding that the corps commander had also personally visited him to convey his felicitations.
When asked about an alleged mega corruption scandal, the chief minister declined to comment, saying he would address the matter once his provincial cabinet was formed.
This marks the second time Afridi has been denied a meeting with Imran Khan since his election as KP chief minister on October 13, when he secured 90 votes in a provincial assembly session boycotted by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He replaced Ali Amin Gandapur, another senior PTI leader known for his hardline stance.
Soon after assuming office, Afridi had announced plans to meet Khan to seek guidance on policy direction and cabinet formation. PTI leaders subsequently petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to ensure the meeting took place. The court directed prison authorities to facilitate it, but Afridi’s earlier attempt on October 23 was also blocked.
Following that denial, the chief minister briefly staged a sit-in outside Adiala Jail, demanding implementation of the court’s order — though the protest ended without result.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 following his conviction in the Toshakhana case-I, one of several cases brought against him since his ouster from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. The PTI founder faces multiple charges ranging from corruption to terrorism.
