Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has moved to consolidate his authority in the provincial government while seeking guidance from PTI founder Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned in Adiala Jail.
Afridi has been authorised by Khan to independently form the KP cabinet and implement administrative changes, including potential reshuffles in the top bureaucracy, such as the Chief Secretary and the Inspector General of Police. Reports indicate a new police chief from the tribal districts is under consideration.
Imran Khan rejected a proposal to set up advisory councils in KP and Punjab, emphasising that Afridi and Punjab PTI Chief Organiser Aliya Hamza should exercise full authority in their respective provinces.
Khan’s directive clarifies that only the KP chief minister will lead provincial affairs, consolidating Afridi’s decision-making power on ministerial appointments, though final selections are still pending.
In parallel, Afridi has written to the Chief Justice of Pakistan via the Advocate General requesting permission to meet Imran Khan under official supervision.
In the letter, he stressed that consultation with the PTI founder is constitutionally and morally necessary, particularly regarding key matters such as cabinet formation, interprovincial coordination, and issues like wheat supply from Punjab. Afridi highlighted that as the representative of 45 million citizens of KP, seeking guidance from the party’s patron-in-chief forms part of his constitutional duties.
Afridi has also approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) with a petition requesting immediate and regular access to Imran Khan for governance-related consultations. The petition names the federal and Punjab interior secretaries, Punjab inspector general, and the superintendent of Adiala Jail as respondents.
Permission for such meetings had previously been denied during Afridi’s recent visit to Adiala Jail. Imran Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 in connection with the £190 million corruption case, with several other cases, including those related to the May 9 unrest, still under trial. Afridi’s legal requests reflect the ongoing need for coordination between provincial authorities and party leadership despite Khan’s imprisonment.
