Achakzai slams authorities for blocking KP CM's visit to Imran Khan

• Achakzai seeks halt to parliamentary business for Imran visit.
• Protest demands authorities allow KP CM Afridi to meet Imran.
• PTI leaders seek written explanation for denying meeting.

RAWALPINDI: Mahmood Khan Achakzai, head of the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), has criticised authorities for denying Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi meeting with jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail.

After being denied meeting with Imran on Thursday, the PTI launched a sit-in at the Gorakhpur checkpoint on Adiala Jail Road in Rawalpindi, demanding that authorities allow CM Afridi and another senior party leader to meet incarcerated PTI founder. Later, Achakzai, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Mishal Yousufzai, Senator Gurdeep Singh, Senator Rubina Naz and MNA Zulfiqar Ahmed joined the KP chief minister in the sit-in.

Speaking to reporters outside the prison before leaving on Friday, Achakzai said the chief minister arrived in Rawalpindi with the belief that, as a representative of a federating unit, he would be allowed to meet his party leader — particularly after obtaining a court directive.

“The chief minister was under the impression that he is a constitutional representative of the federation. He thought that since the court has put it in writing, he would be granted a meeting with his leader,” Achakzai said.

“But he has now realised that those in charge here do not respect democratic norms or the language of honour.”

Afridi took part in a sit-in outside the jail on Thursday evening after prison authorities told him to bring a fresh court order before any meeting could be arranged. PTI lawmakers and supporters later joined him.

Achakzai said Afridi’s protest reflected the voice of democratic Pashtuns who believed in constitutional rights.

“The chief minister has staged a peaceful sit-in here as a democratic Pashtun," he added.

He called the situation “shameful”, urging elected representatives to use their collective strength if the meeting continues to be denied.

“It is a matter of shame that the PTI founder remains behind bars while parliamentary proceedings carry on,” Achakzai said.

“If they do not allow a meeting, then we should exercise the people’s power and stop the proceedings inside the Senate and National Assembly.”

Senator Abbas, talking to the media, said that the government is violating basic human rights. “Refusing a chief minister a simple meeting with his party founder under custody is unacceptable,” he told journalists.

Negotiations with jail administration

The representatives of the KP chief minister held negotiations with the jail administration and police authorities late in the night on Thursday. According to party sources, the delegation had requested a written justification of why the meeting was being denied to CM Afridi.

However, talks turned out to be unfruitful as the jail administration called on Afridi to bring a judicial order. The PTI leaders, while talking to police officers, stressed that they would continue the protest until permission was granted.

Talking to the media outside the Adiala jail, KP's Information Minister Shafi Jan said, “We have a sole demand. We want the Chief Minister must be allowed to visit Imran Khan.”

He added the sit-in would continue until authorities complied for Imran-Afridi meeting.