KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Cabinet Members Taken Into Preventive Custody After Governor’s Rule, Minister Confirms as PTI Protests

PESHAWAR: The head of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s suspended provincial government, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, and several of his cabinet members have been taken into preventive custody following the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in the province — a development confirmed by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry. Speaking to an international news agency, Chaudhry said the detentions took place on Sunday at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, adding that those facing legal cases would be charged and tried while the others would be released.

According to reports, the Chief Minister’s House and key installations in its vicinity have been cordoned off by police and paramilitary personnel, with shipping containers placed across roads. Disruptions to mobile phone and internet services have also been reported in parts of the province. Former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur has claimed that he was placed under house arrest at his residence in Dera Ismail Khan, while media reports suggest dozens of party workers have been arrested in districts including Swabi and Khyber.

PTI’s reaction

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has strongly condemned the detentions and demanded the immediate release of all its leaders. Party leader Shaukat Yousafzai said detaining an elected chief minister was an insult to the mandate of the province’s people. PTI lawmaker Junaid Akbar said the party’s provincial president had also been arrested.

The federal government, for its part, maintains that the measures were unavoidable for restoring law and order, arguing that the provincial government had deliberately disengaged from the fight against terrorism. Political observers say the detentions have sharply escalated the confrontation between the federation and the PTI, and the coming days could see tensions rise further.