- CM Afridi says he will meet Field Marshal Asim Munir.
- Calls for the supremacy of the Constitution and the law.
- Admits to using inappropriate language in Lahore.
In a positive development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi expressed readiness to hold talks with the establishment on provincial issues and improve relations, adding that policies should be formulated in accordance with public interest.
Speaking to reporters in Peshawar on Friday, the provincial chief executive said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding president Imran Khan had not given him any instructions regarding negotiations with the establishment.
At the same time, he clarified that the former prime minister had entrusted this task to Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
He said if any ceremony or meeting was held, he would definitely meet the Chief of Defense Force (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
Afridi said the Constitution and law should have supremacy in the country, adding that conditions and environment should be conducive for negotiations regarding the release of Imran Khan.
He said it was legitimate for the sisters of the PTI founder to come out and campaign for the release of their brother, adding that their aim in going to Karachi is to mobilize the public for the release of the PTI founder.
The chief minister also admitted that during his visit to Lahore, he used inappropriate language, but said it was a reaction to an action, adding that he apologized for using such language during the visit.
On Friday, the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, speaking at PK Press Club News program ‘Naya Pakistan’, said it was impossible for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to present an offer of dialogue to the PTI without first consulting Nawaz Sharif or the establishment.
He also expressed doubts about the success of any talks, saying the dialogue would fail unless the PTI founder supports it, and quoted Imran’s sister Aleema Khan as saying that anyone holding talks would not be a member of the party.
Earlier this week, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan recommended legal action following the chaos that erupted when CM Afridi arrived at the provincial legislature building.
He said a committee report revealed that the individuals who accompanied him entered the provincial assembly without proper authorization and clashed with security personnel.
This report came a day after Afridi wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz protesting the alleged mistreatment during her visit to the Punjab Assembly.
