KARACHI- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has warned that any military or security operation in the province would amount to “open bullying.”
Speaking to the media at the Karachi Press Club, Afridi said that even the sisters of PTI founder Imran Khan were not being allowed to meet him, adding that he was being treated like a terrorist.
He claimed that the PTI founder’s government was removed illegally under what he called the “London Plan.” He said this was not just PTI’s battle but a collective struggle, adding that journalists who supported truth and justice were also being targeted.
The chief minister said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had given PTI a mandate for the third time because they were satisfied with its performance. He questioned why a chief minister could not engage in politics outside his own province and said an all-parties peace jirga had been held in the provincial assembly.
Afridi said all parties had agreed on the 15-point agenda of the peace jirga, reiterating that the PTI founder had always maintained that operations were not a solution. He again warned that any operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be “open bullying.”
He emphasized the need for dialogue but said it was important to assess how empowered the other side was. He alleged that vehicles of the Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan convoy were attacked a day earlier, adding that the current situation reflected the government’s true intentions.
Responding to a question about seeking permission for an operation, Afridi laughed and said he had been instructed by the PTI founder to launch a street movement. He added that the mandate for negotiations and resistance rested with Mahmood Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas, stressing that their core dispute was that no one seeks permission.
He further claimed that the federal government was not giving Khyber Pakhtunkhwa its due share under the NFC Award and owed the province Rs 4,758 billion in outstanding dues.
Afridi also said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the only province providing free medical treatment worth Rs 2 million per citizen, while its cheaper electricity was benefiting the entire country.
