Whoever attacks Pakistan would receive strong response: CM Afridi

• Want to meet Imran Khan for provincial cabinet formation: CM.
• Says he is made CM for "change", not to merely run govt.
• KP must be taken into confidence on Afghan policy: Sohail Afridi.
  

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said that his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), stands firmly alongside the Pakistan Army in the face of any aggression, The News reported on Sunday.

“PTI stands shoulder to shoulder with the army against any aggression,” the chief minister said. “Whoever attacks Pakistan, including from across the border, will receive a strong and fitting response.”

In an informal conversation with senior journalists, accompanied by former minister Meena Khan, the chief minister said, “We are with our army against any foreign aggression.”

The chief minister said he wants to consult the party founder, Imran Khan, regarding the formation of the provincial cabinet, but is not being allowed to meet him. He said that new faces would also be part of the cabinet, adding that the chief secretary and the inspector general of police would not be changed for now.

"Whoever Imran Khan names will be part of the cabinet," Afridi said, adding that he would inform the founder about both deserving and undeserving cabinet members. So far, he said, Imran had only confirmed Muzammil Aslam’s inclusion.

The chief minister said he had not come merely to run the government but to bring change. "If he were not given time to meet Imran Khan, he would finalise the cabinet after consultation with other senior leaders."

Speaking on the repatriation of Afghan refugees, CM Afridi demanded that the provincial government must be taken into confidence on all policies regarding Afghanistan.

He said hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees had already returned, while 1.2 million still remain in the country and should be repatriated with dignity.

The return process, he added, would be expedited, stressing that Afghan refugees should not be forcibly sent back. He admitted that the previous government was relatively weak but added that while it is fair to criticise mistakes, such criticism should not come at the cost of harming the province.

The KP chief minister said that no one had brought him against anyone, and his government stood firmly for the rule of law. “We are fighting our battles in courts, but if justice is denied, we will protest,” Afridi warned.