The sit-in began Thursday evening and lasted until 8 a.m. Friday; five multi-level checkpoints set up around Adiala
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Suhail Afridi takes part in a sit-in at Naka Factory near Adiala Prison on Friday. SCREENSHOT
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Suhail Afridi ended his nearly 15-hour sit-in at the Naka Factory near Adiala Prison on Friday morning after a night of negotiations with prison officials, none of whom provided the assurances he was seeking.
Afridi had launched the protest around 5:15 p.m. on Thursday after authorities once again denied him permission to meet the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder – the eighth such refusal since he assumed office.
The sit-in continued until 8 a.m. Friday, drawing party activists to the site as talks dragged on through the night.
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Announcing the decision to end the protest, Afridi told reporters he had exhausted “all constitutional and legal options” in his efforts to secure a meeting. “What path remains for me to meet my boss? he asked, adding that despite a court order, neither he nor other PTI leaders were allowed to meet the party’s imprisoned founding president.
Afridi also recalled earlier incidents in which the founder’s sisters were arrested on Adiala Road, alleging that they were humiliated. “All this is done to break the founder. Bushra Bibi is being targeted,” he said. He claimed that in the past, “those who fled to London” received dozens of visitors at the same facility.
“Currently, court orders are not being implemented,” he added. “The whole night has passed, and now the morning has come, but I am not allowed to meet him.”
Afridi said he would now approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC), saying he would inform the chief justice that three judges had issued written directions authorizing the meeting. “If the courts cannot ensure compliance with their own orders, the country will descend into the law of the jungle,” he warned.
After leaving for Islamabad, PTI workers dispersed from the protest venue.
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Earlier, Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, speaking at the sit-in, said the protest was not planned.
According to him, Afridi expected that written orders from the Supreme Court and the High Court would be enough to meet the party founder. “The chief minister has seen that no one here understands the language of decency,” he said, describing Afridi’s decision to stay on the road as the act of a “democratic Pashtun”.
Achakzai claimed that the sit-in could have continued until the court issued another directive, while suggesting that if the PTI wanted the founder’s sisters to be allowed to assemble, the party should “use the power of the people to stop the parliamentary and senatorial proceedings.”
He added that it was “shameful” that the assemblies continued to operate while the party’s founder remained behind bars. Achakzai added that he and other leaders would accompany Afridi to the IHC after Fajr prayers.
Security around Adiala prison has been strengthened
Meanwhile, security around Adiala Prison was placed on high alert overnight due to the evolving law and order situation, with five multi-level checkpoints set up around the facility for the first time. More than 700 people and 23 inspectors were deployed in turn as part of an indefinite security plan, according to police sources.
Heavy contingents were stationed at Naka Dahgal, Gate One, Gate Five, Factory Naka and Gorakhpur, with duty divided into two 12-hour shifts. SHOs from 12 police stations – along with women officers – have been assigned for the deployment.
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The personnel of the Riot Management Force, Punjab Police and local police were equipped with rubber bullets, tear gas, batons, shields and anti-riot equipment. Ten traffic police and a vehicle lift were also positioned near the prison, while prisoner vans remained on standby. Adiala’s guards were instructed to remain available after completing their judicial duties.
Police sources said SHOs and personnel from Gujar Khan, Mandra, Kahuta, Kallar Syedan, Dhamial, Chakri, Rawat, Chontra, Women Police, Morgah, Cantt and Saddar Baironi police stations had been deployed to strengthen the security cordon. SP Saddar was responsible for supervising the arrangements.
