KP Assembly passes resolution against alleged manhandling of Sohail Afridi in Lahore

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution condemning an incident involving Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in Lahore, where he was seen in a Punjab police vehicle following a confrontation over the detention of PTI workers. Afridi later accused the Punjab government of abducting him and leaving him by the roadside.

Speaking after the incident, Afridi alleged that he had been abducted and later taken to a roadside location, where he was left without security.

The resolution, moved by provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam, said Afridi had been forcibly placed in a police vehicle, separated from his security detail and later left without security.

It described the treatment as contrary to Articles 4, 9 and 25 of the Constitution and called for action against the officials responsible.

The resolution was passed by a majority vote.

The KP Assembly’s resolution on Tuesday demanded that the officials responsible for the Lahore incident be dealt with according to law and stressed that political differences should not affect the security and constitutional rights of elected representatives.

The incident occurred on Monday during Afridi’s visit to Lahore to offer condolences to the family of PTI activist Ishtiaq Ahmad, who died from burn injuries sustained during what PTI described as a police raid.

Afridi had travelled to Lahore after changing his planned Punjab tour and was accompanied by senior PTI leaders, including party Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and Punjab Assembly opposition leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar.

Heavy police deployment and barricades were in place around the area, with authorities citing security concerns and a ban on large gatherings.

What happened with the police van

The confrontation intensified after police detained PTI Lahore president Mian Akram Usman, vice-president Naeemullah Taj and other party workers, according to reports.

A senior KP government official accompanying Afridi told Dawn that the chief minister entered a police van to secure the release of detained workers.

Some workers were subsequently freed, but others remained in custody, prompting Afridi to refuse to leave the vehicle. The police then drove the van away from the spot before Afridi was eventually removed from it.

Videos circulated on social media showed Afridi walking towards and entering the police vehicle. He could be heard refusing to get out while someone inside or near the vehicle asked him to leave.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the video showed that Afridi had entered the vehicle voluntarily and denied that he had been arrested or abducted.

Bokhari said PTI supporters had surrounded the vehicle, prompting the driver to move it because he believed it was under attack. She said the vehicle stopped shortly afterwards and Afridi and others got out and sat on a footpath. She described the episode as a “drama”.

Afridi, however, gave a different account after the incident, saying he and others had been abducted and that he was later left by the roadside without security.

“We were abducted, and then, when they received pressure from somewhere, they threw me by the roadside without security and left,” Afridi said.

He alleged that there had been a conspiracy to abduct a sitting chief minister and said the incident could deepen tensions between the provinces.

Dispute over PTI worker’s death

Afridi’s Lahore visit was prompted by the death of PTI activist Ishtiaq Ahmad, who died from burn injuries after an incident during preparations for Eid Miladun Nabi.

The PTI has blamed Punjab police for the activist’s death, alleging that Ahmad suffered burns over 70 per cent of his body after falling into a vat of boiling oil amid a police raid. He later died despite receiving medical treatment.

Afridi accused the Punjab government and police of responsibility for Ahmad’s death and rejected security offered by Punjab authorities, saying he had come to Lahore as an ordinary citizen. The allegations have been made by PTI and were not independently established in the reports reviewed.

His convoy faced police blockades at several points, while tensions between PTI supporters and police led to confrontations and arrests.

More than a dozen PTI workers, including Mian Akram Usman and Naeemullah Taj, were arrested after police attempted to disperse crowds accompanying Afridi’s convoy.

The Punjab Home Department had imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, banning gatherings of five or more people until September 17. The order prohibited rallies, demonstrations and the display of weapons, while exempting weddings, funerals and court proceedings.

Political tensions between Punjab and KP

The Lahore episode has intensified tensions between the PTI-led KP government and the Punjab administration.

KP Information Minister Shafi Jan earlier accused Punjab police of separating Afridi from his security detail, putting him in another vehicle and leaving him without protection. He described the alleged treatment as an attack on the democratic mandate and constitutional rights of the KP chief minister.

The PTI also condemned what it called the “arrest” of Afridi, saying the incident risked increasing resentment and mistrust between the provinces. The party urged its supporters to respond peacefully and democratically.

Punjab authorities rejected the allegations. Bokhari said there had been no arrest and that Afridi had voluntarily entered the police vehicle. She also shared video footage that she said showed him boarding the vehicle despite police asking him to get out.

After the episode, Afridi continued his Lahore programme, travelling with supporters through parts of the city and visiting Data Darbar before proceeding towards the Lahore High Court.

His convoy and accompanying crowds caused significant traffic disruption in several areas, including Mall Road, Lower Mall Road, Regal Chowk, GPO Chowk, Circular Road and parts of the Walled City.

Afridi has also announced that PTI’s campaign will continue with a planned September 27 protest, while saying the party’s struggle would remain within constitutional and legal limits.