KP CM Sohail Afridi Alleges Abduction in Lahore as Punjab Government Rejects Claim
A political dispute intensified in Lahore on Monday after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi alleged that he was forcibly taken away by authorities and later left by the roadside without security.
The Punjab government rejected the allegation, with Provincial Information Minister Azma Bokhari describing the incident as a political drama and saying Afridi had entered a police vehicle voluntarily.
The conflicting accounts emerged during Afridi’s visit to Lahore, where tensions between PTI supporters and police were reported at several locations.
Afridi Says He Was Taken Away and Left Without Security
Speaking after the incident, Afridi claimed that he and others had been abducted and that he was eventually released after pressure was placed on the authorities.
He alleged that he was left on the roadside without security and said the incident appeared to be part of an attempt to target an elected chief minister.
Afridi also suggested that the incident could contribute to tensions between the provinces and repeated his concerns about efforts to create divisions within the country.
KP Official Gives Different Account
A senior KP government official who was travelling with Afridi provided another version of events.
According to the official, Afridi entered a Punjab Police vehicle voluntarily in an effort to help secure the release of PTI workers who had been detained during the day’s clashes.
The official said some workers were released, while others remained inside the vehicle. Afridi reportedly refused to leave while the detained workers were still there.
The police vehicle then moved away from the original location before the chief minister was eventually asked to leave, according to the official.
Punjab Government Rejects Abduction Claim
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari strongly disputed Afridi’s allegations.
She said the chief minister entered the police vehicle voluntarily and argued that the available footage supported the government’s position.
Video shared by Bokhari reportedly shows Afridi approaching the police vehicle and getting inside. He is later seen remaining in the vehicle while someone asks him to leave.
Bokhari said the situation developed after PTI supporters gathered around the police vehicle, causing officers to believe that the vehicle was being surrounded or attacked.
She also rejected the claim that Afridi had been formally arrested, saying his security personnel and a cameraman were present at the location.
Bokhari dismissed the allegations as “total drama” and questioned the circumstances surrounding Afridi’s account of being left on the roadside.
PTI Accuses Punjab Police of Targeting KP Chief Minister
KP Information Minister Shafi Jan supported Afridi’s version of events and accused Punjab Police of attempting to forcibly remove the chief minister from his security team.
Jan alleged that Afridi was separated from his guards and moved into another vehicle before being taken to a different location.
He described the alleged incident as unacceptable and accused the Punjab government of using excessive police measures against an elected provincial chief executive.
PTI also criticised what it described as Afridi’s arrest and said the incident was disrespectful to the electoral mandate of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The party warned that such confrontations could increase mistrust between the provinces, while maintaining that it did not want to promote ethnic or provincial divisions.
Conflicting Posts Add to Confusion
There were also differences between posts published on Afridi’s official social media account.
One post stated that the KP chief minister had entered a Punjab Police van himself and reached a police station. Another post published shortly before it said Afridi was with PTI workers at a protest gathering on Lahore’s Mall Road.
The conflicting accounts have added to questions surrounding the exact sequence of events.
Tensions During Afridi’s Lahore Visit
The controversy followed a tense visit by Afridi to Lahore, where he had originally planned several activities but later travelled to the city to offer condolences to the family of a senior PTI worker who had died from burn injuries.
His convoy reportedly faced police blockades at different points after entering Punjab. PTI workers also gathered along the route, while confrontations between supporters and police were reported in parts of Lahore.
Afridi criticised the provincial authorities over the security arrangements and said he did not want protection from a force he accused of being responsible for the death of a man preparing for Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebrations.
The KP chief minister also responded to recent remarks by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, saying he did not consider the people of Punjab a threat.
PTI Plans Further Political Mobilisation
During his Lahore visit, Afridi also announced plans for a nationwide political movement on September 27, calling on supporters to participate in demonstrations against what he described as illegitimate rulers.
PTI supporters welcomed Afridi at several points during his journey through Lahore. Hundreds of party workers gathered along roads and at locations including Do Moriya Pul on Circular Road.
Afridi addressed supporters from his vehicle and waved to crowds as political tensions continued to rise.
The incident has added another layer to the ongoing political tensions between the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the Punjab administration. At present, the allegations made by both sides remain disputed, with each giving a different account of what happened during Afridi’s movement in Lahore.
