Peshawar, Oct 13 A petition seeking the immediate recovery of former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi and clarification regarding his whereabouts was filed in the Peshawar High Court on Tuesday, two days after the federal government imposed governor’s rule and an emergency in the troubled northwestern province.
Afridi and several leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were taken into custody immediately after the emergency was imposed in the northwestern province on Sunday over the deteriorating law and order situation.
The emergency was imposed as the PTI was holding a protest march led by Afridi, demanding the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and access to medical treatment for him.
Khan, the 73-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician, has been incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since 2023 and faces more than 100 cases, including corruption and charges related to inciting violence.
The petition, filed by the former chief minister’s brother, Muhammad Amir, urged the court to take immediate notice of the matter and order the safe recovery of Afridi.
According to the petition, Afridi was allegedly abducted by armed and masked individuals in the presence of the Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO).
The petitioner claimed that the “abduction of an elected chief minister amounted to a serious violation of the Constitution, the law and fundamental human rights”.
The petition further stated that the chief minister’s life and liberty were under serious threat and that his alleged illegal detention violated Articles 4, 9, 10 and 14 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The petitioner sought clarification regarding his whereabouts, the identity of those holding him and the legal authority under which he is allegedly being detained.
The petitioner submitted that an independent and impartial investigation into the alleged abduction should be ordered.
On Monday, another petition challenging the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in KPK province was filed in the Peshawar High Court.
President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday proclaimed Articles 232(1) and 234(1) of the Constitution to declare an emergency in KPK, citing the deteriorating law and order situation.
(PTI News)
