LAHORE: High drama unfolded in the provincial capital on Monday as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi staged a protest inside a police prisoner van following the arrest of senior PTI leaders and workers accompanying his convoy, triggering a sharp political escalation and heated accusations between Punjab and KP authorities.
“They (Punjab Police) tried to abduct me and then dumped me here on the street; attempting to abduct a provincial Chief Minister was no small matter, and now the pressure will be on them (the Punjab government),” claimed the KP CM.
The arrest of PTI District Lahore President Mian Akram Usman and Vice President Mehr Naeemullah Taj alongside several party workers sparked a tense standoff in Lahore, culminating in KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi boarding a police van in protest before being dropped off at Lakshmi Chowk. The party alleged that several other PTI workers were also taken into custody during the movement of the convoy.
Tensions escalated when police allegedly moved a prisoner van towards the KP Chief Minister’s convoy. Police and Afridi came face to face as party workers gathered around the vehicle. “I am not troubling anyone; I am the one being troubled,” Afridi was quoted as saying to the police. He demanded the release of the detained workers, saying, “I will move away only after our workers were released.”
Afridi subsequently boarded the prisoner van in protest and refused to get off when a police officer asked him to leave the vehicle. Police personnel gathered around the van as the standoff continued. Later, the van was driven away while Afridi was still inside. He was eventually dropped off at Lakshmi Chowk, where he and his companions sat on a footpath.
While talking to the media, the KP CM advised his supporters to remain peaceful, adding that this was all orchestrated by Punjab’s fake government. “They are trying to spread chaos. You must remain peaceful.”
The PTI and the KP government officials strongly condemned the alleged forcible detention of their Chief Minister and key local party leaders, while Punjab authorities dismissed the incident as a staged political stunt.
KP Information Minister Shafi Ullah Jan strongly condemned what he described as the Punjab police’s alleged forcible detention of the elected KP Chief Minister. He said that forcing an elected Chief Minister into a vehicle, withdrawing his security and leaving him without assistance was a serious matter for which the Punjab government should be held responsible. He also said that the incident in Lahore amounted to an insult to the democratic mandate and constitutional rights of the KP chief minister.
Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Moeen-ud-Din Riaz Qureshi also condemned what he described as the alleged misconduct and attempted abduction of Afridi by Punjab Police. He added that such treatment of an elected Chief Minister was unacceptable and stressed that the public mandate, Constitution and democratic values must be protected.
The Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) Punjab also condemned the alleged detention of Afridi, holding the Punjab government responsible for the incident. It said that a sitting chief minister had visited the family of a deceased political worker to offer condolences and should not have been detained by police of another province. They alleged that Punjab Police had held the elected KP Chief Minister against his will and described the incident as unprecedented in relations between the provinces.
Meanwhile, Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari, while sharing a video of Sohail Afridi getting into a police van, said, “Watch another stunt. Sohail Afridi himself went and sat in the police van while police officers kept asking him to get out.”
She said that Afridi also scolded his guards and pushed them aside when they tried to block his ‘drama’; he was putting on a scripted and cheap act, adding that they were treating them with respect, but they do not deserve it. “Look at the reality of the people as far as the eye can see. Vehicles are being stopped at various places, causing inconvenience to the public, while YouTubers and guards are being addressed.”
The KP CM came to the provincial capital to offer condolences to the family of slain Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist Ishtiaq Ahmad, who succumbed to severe burn injuries reportedly sustained during a police raid that occurred while preparations were underway for Eid Miladun Nabi.
The PTI alleges that the Punjab Police were responsible for the death of their political activist, claiming that Ahmad suffered burns over 70 percent of his body after falling into a vat of boiling oil during the chaos. Despite receiving medical treatment, he later passed away due to his third-degree burns.
Severe tensions erupted outside the home of the deceased PTI worker when the KP Chief Minister, accompanied by PTI Central Secretary General Barrister Salman Akram Raja and Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, arrived to offer prayers. Confronted by heavy barricades and a massive contingent of Punjab Police, a visibly emotional Afridi reprimanded the officers present.
“We have not come here to hold any political gathering or procession,” Afridi confronted the police personnel. “You threw a lover of the Prophet (PBUH) into a cauldron and martyred him, and on top of that, you are creating further obstacles. Aren’t you even slightly ashamed?”
Rejecting the protocol and protection offered by provincial authorities, Chief Minister Afridi delivered a scathing critique of the Punjab government and police conduct, declaring, “Punjab is mine, Pakistan is mine. I have come here as an ordinary citizen. I refuse to accept your (the Punjab government’s) security; I do not need your protection.”
While addressing the media and PTI workers outside Ishtiaq Ahmad’s residence, Afridi castigated the Punjab government for political victimisation and police brutality.
He lashed out at the Punjab administration, highlighting the horrific details surrounding the worker’s death. “The Punjab police and the illegitimate Punjab government burned Ishtiaq Ahmad in hot oil; he was innocent and had done no wrong, yet he was killed. In the eyes of these tyrants, human life has no value,” he alleged.
Afridi also directed sharp words at Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, criticising her provincial security rhetoric, stating, “The fake Chief Minister of Punjab claims she feels threatened by the three provinces of Pakistan but not by India, which is a shameful attitude.” He added, “I am from Punjab, and the Punjabis are mine. I have no threat from Punjab. The people of Punjab despise you (the Punjab CM). I am the people’s Chief Minister, and I enjoy being among the people.”
Regarding the protest scheduled for September 27, he emphasised that the party’s struggle remains strictly within democratic and legal boundaries. He asserted that the Constitution of Pakistan is the ultimate guarantor of national cohesion and equal rights. “We do not support violence or lawbreaking; our only demand is that courts and relevant institutions make impartial and fair decisions in accordance with the Constitution and law,” he said, reiterating that PTI’s movement, aligned with PTI founder Imran Khan’s vision, is not aimed at securing personal office or power, but at ensuring the rule of law.
He called upon citizens to join the protest, stating that on September 27, the people will come out to support the release of their leader and demand their rights. Later, after offering condolences to the deceased’s family, the KP Chief Minister departed for the Data Sahib shrine in the shape of a rally through Mochi Gate, Lohari Gate and Bhatti Gate. A large number of PTI supporters joined in the rally as it progressed to its destination amid heavy police presence.
Later, Afradi led his supporters to Liberty Chowk, where the incident with police took place. Moreover, the police enforced market and shop closures at Hall Road, the Mall Road, Anarkali, and other markets, while severe traffic congestion occurred at the railway station, the Mall Road, Lower Mall Road, Regal Chowk, GPO Chowk and Circular Road.
Frequent stops forced citizens to navigate through the streets of adjacent neighbourhoods, leading to significant traffic jams reported in areas such as Ek Moriya Pul, Akbari Market Road, Delhi Gate, Wansan Wala Bazaar, and Shah Alam Market.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Home Department announced an immediate ban on large gatherings under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, restricting gatherings of five or more people until September 17. The order strictly prohibits public rallies, demonstrations, and the display of weapons while exempting weddings, funerals, and court proceedings.
Additionally, Opposition Leader Moeen Qureshi claimed to the media that the KP Chief Minister’s convoy was repeatedly stopped and that attempts were made to arrest them. “An attempt was made to arrest me, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, and Senator Aoun Abbas. Moreover, the police prevented us from going to the deceased’s home to attend the funeral rites.”
PTI Punjab Information Secretary Shaukat Basra denounced the crackdown, alleging that provincial authorities initiated a coordinated campaign involving late-night raids and the detention of hundreds of party workers, including women.
The PTI leadership further accused the police of maintaining an overbearing presence during Ishtiaq Ahmad’s funeral proceedings, claiming that the funeral procession was rushed to prevent family members and workers from gathering.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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