News
September 18, 2026
Afridi Accuses Punjab Govt of Political Victimization, Manhandling
Lahore: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday accused the Punjab government and police of political victimization, brutality, and manhandling during his visit to Lahore to offer condolences to the family of a slain Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist, Ishtiaq Ahmad.
Tensions rose outside the deceased activist’s residence as Afridi, accompanied by PTI Secretary General Barrister Salman Akram Raja and Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, reached the workers' home. They also encountered barricades and a heavy police presence.
Afridi alleged that the Punjab govt attempted to "abduct" him and later "dumped" him on the street, saying such an attempt against a provincial chief minister was no small matter.
He urged workers to remain peaceful, alleging that the situation was orchestrated by Punjab’s government to create chaos.
“We have not come here to hold any political gathering or procession,” Afridi told police personnel.
PTI strongly condemned the incident, calling it "the shameful and reprehensible conduct of the Punjab Police" towards Afridi.
The statement said that the political differences were one thing, but "harassing or attempting to abduct" an elected public representative was absolutely unacceptable under any circumstances.
"Maryam Nawaz and her thuggish elements should feel ashamed of this disgraceful behavior," it added.
PTI said that the "power is temporary, but the violation of the people's mandate and the humiliation of democratic representatives" are always remembered in history.
K-P Information Minister Shafi Ullah Jan also strongly condemned the incident and said that forcing an elected chief minister into a vehicle, withdrawing his security and leaving him without assistance was a serious matter for which the Punjab government should be held responsible.
Jan said the incident in Lahore amounted to an affront to the democratic mandate and constitutional rights of the K-P chief minister.
Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Moeen-ud-Din Riaz Qureshi also condemned what he described as the alleged misconduct and attempted abduction of Afridi by Punjab police. He said such treatment of an elected chief minister was unacceptable and stressed that the public mandate, Constitution and democratic values must be protected.
Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) Punjab Chief Organizer Ammar Ali Jan and Information Secretary Shayan Bashir also condemned the alleged detention of Afridi, holding the Punjab government responsible for the incident.
In a joint statement, they said a sitting chief minister had visited the family of a deceased political worker to offer condolences and should not have been detained by police of another province. They alleged that Punjab police had held the elected K-P chief minister against his will and described the incident as unprecedented in relations between the provinces.
Responding to Afridi’s allegations, Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Zahid Bokhari called it a “drama”, saying that they themselves went and sat in the police van while police officials were asking them to get off.
“They scolded and pushed aside their own guard for obstructing what she described as a scripted drama and lazy acting," she said in a post on X.
Addressing media and PTI workers outside Ahmad’s home, Afridi accused the Punjab police and government of causing the death, saying the deceased was innocent. He also criticized Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, referring to her concerns over security threats.
“The Punjab police and the illegitimate Punjab government burned Ishtiaq Ahmad in hot oil; he was innocent and had done no wrong, yet he was killed,” he said.
Ahmad had died after suffering burn injuries during a police raid while preparations were under way for Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH). The PTI alleged that the police were responsible for his death, claiming that he had suffered burns over 70 per cent of his body after falling into a vat of boiling oil amid chaos. He later died. – The Express Tribune
Courtesy The Express Tribune
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