Peshawar/Lahore, December 29, 2025: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has expressed “deep concern” over what he described as “discourtesy and unnecessary hostility” during his three-day visit to Lahore, formally objecting to the Punjab government’s conduct in a detailed letter to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
In the two-page letter, shared publicly via X by the KP government, Afridi criticized protocol deviations, excessive security measures, and coordinated digital campaigns targeting him. He said the actions — including sweeping detentions, sealed public places, blocked roads, closed markets, and even turning off lights at Mazar-e-Iqbal — conveyed intimidation rather than cooperation and were “incompatible with the dignity of constitutional office and the spirit of inter-provincial respect.”
Afridi also alleged that a “coordinated and malicious social media campaign” linked to Punjab government-aligned accounts circulated defamatory insinuations against him, including unfounded narcotics allegations. “The use of state-linked digital platforms to defame a sitting Chief Minister is unacceptable, irresponsible, and institutionally indefensible,” he wrote, warning that such acts constitute character assassination.
He described the combined pattern of protocol degradation, excessive policing, and online vilification as deliberate, “aimed at humiliation rather than engagement,” and said it undermines federal harmony, erodes public trust in provincial institutions, and sets a dangerous precedent. Afridi called for accountability and stressed that such conduct should neither be normalized nor repeated.
Separately, during a KP cabinet meeting, Afridi called the Punjab government’s conduct “undemocratic, reprehensible, and contrary to national unity,” noting that the treatment of his entourage and cabinet members had been witnessed publicly. He criticized the forced closure of markets, blocked roads, and sealed motorway rest areas, stating such measures “fan hatred and division” at a time of political and economic instability.
Afridi also highlighted delays in the release of federal funds under the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP) for KP’s merged districts, saying the province is still owed Rs 4,758 billion, which has stalled development work in the region.
The KP Chief Minister’s Lahore visit, intended to launch PTI’s street movement, was reportedly marred by altercations between his entourage and security officials, and tense exchanges with journalists. He criticized the Punjab administration’s behavior, calling it reflective of a “mean mentality” and invited CM Maryam Nawaz to visit KP to observe proper democratic protocols for visiting provincial leaders.
During his visit, Afridi also noted incidents such as the closure of all restaurants on Lahore’s Food Street when his entourage arrived for dinner, with lights turned off and the public evicted — examples he cited as symbolic of the broader “hostile and humiliating” treatment he received.
