Rana says reservations over Sohail Afridi are justified

ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister Sohail Afridi — the latest choice of PTI founder Imran Khan to run the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa affairs — was the one who led the crowd attacking Islamabad twice, said Rana Sanaullah, adviser to the prime minister on political affairs, Tuesday.

سہیل آفریدی کے خلاف وفاقی حکومت کے شکوک و شبہات بلاجواز نہیں تھے یہ ان کے اپنے ماضی کے رویے کی وجہ سے تھے جب وہ دو بار پی ٹی آئی احتجاج میں بندوق بردار دستے کی کمانڈ کر رہے تھے جس نے پولیس پر فائرنگ کی۔۔۔ رانا ثناء اللہ کا الزام۔۔#FaislaAapKa TEAM
Hum News@RanaSanaullahPK pic.twitter.com/m0yv0NnRUR

— Asma Shirazi (@asmashirazi) October 21, 2025

The doubts and suspicions expressed about Afridi are not baseless, Rana told Asma Shirazi — the host of HUM News primetime show “Faisal Aap Ka” — as he said that things were on record to prove the allegations.

“We know how to deal with him,” Rana remarked and added that “there is no room for such people” as he also questioned the legality of the demand to allow Afridi a meeting with Imran at Adiala jail.

TERRORISM

On Monday, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said the PTI government had left the police official at the mercy of terrorists as he blasted Afridi for ordering to return the bulletproof vehicles the Centre had handed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police.

Read more: KP govt left police at the mercy of terrorists: Talal

Talking about the returning the bulletproof vehicles, the prime minister’s special assistant said only the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister could explain this “madness”.

However, he opined that the Centre should have informed the provincial government before handing over the bulletproof vehicles to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police.

Earlier on Sunday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif appreciated the fact that the PTI had welcomed the ceasefire agreement inked by Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban in Doha but said that they also should condemn terrorism.

Read more: Resettling terrorists resulted in rise of terrorism: Shehbaz

His comments came in the backdrop of PTI’s insistence on stopping military operations against the TTP and other terrorists groups to hold dialogue with them.

Read more: Don’t evaluate Pak-Afghan ties on basis of business: Khawaja Asif

“The PTI leaders are welcoming the Doha [Qatar] agreement, [which] is a good thing,” the defence minister and requested that the Pak-Afghan relations should not be evaluated “only in the context of your business [interests]”.

“May Allah grant them the ability to condemn terrorism as well,” he remarked.

MEETING INCARCERATED IMRAN NOT A RIGHT

“What’s wrong in not permitting a meeting with the PTI founder,” Rana said when asked about the issue that has become the main demand of Afridi.

قانون میں کہاں لکھا ہے کہ کسی قیدی سے، لیڈر سے یا پیر سے اس کے لوگوں کی ملاقات کروائی جائے جب وہ جیل میں ہو۔۔ کسی وزیراعلی کا کسی قیدی سے ملنے کا کوئی رائٹ نہیں، قانونی حق صرف فیملی اور وکیل کا ہوتا ہے۔۔ جب میں جیل میں تھا تو میں نے کسی کارکن کی شکل نہیں دیکھی سوائے فیملی اور… pic.twitter.com/v2Yy3R1AX1

— Asma Shirazi (@asmashirazi) October 21, 2025

He also asked in which law it is stated workers or any other person must have access to the jailed leader, but added that the government would allow Afridi to meet Imran in case of a court order.

Afridi neither did talked about law and constitution in his speech nor have ever uttered a word with respect to development of the province he is ruling, Rana said.

On the other hand, the special assistant to the prime minister also expressed his views about the supremacy of Parliament.

Amending the constitution is a prerogative of the parliament which has also established the Supreme Court, he made it clear.