KP CM Afridi should ‘definitely’ be allowed to meet Imran: Punjab governor
PESHAWAR: Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider said on Friday that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi should “definitely” be allowed to meet incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.
He expressed these views while answering a question during a press conference in Peshawar. His remarks come a day after Afridi was denied a meeting with Imran. It was the the second time that he had failed in his attempt to meet the former prime minister since assuming office on Oct 16, despite getting permission from the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
When Haider, who was addressing the press conference alongside KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, was asked for his opinion on the matter, he said: “There is democracy [in the country], and in my view, political people should be dealt with in a political manner. The court has given [Afridi] the permission to meet [Imran], and if there is no legal hindrance, I see no reason why the meeting should not take place.”
The Punjab governor further stated that “several visitors had been meeting several prisoners according to the schedule” at the jail on a daily basis. “So, if Sohail Afridi goes and meets the PTI founder, the sky will not fall down and the world will not end”.
“In my opinion, he (Afridi) should definitely be allowed [to meet Imran]. Otherwise, you are making someone a hero over nothing. Personally, I do not agree with the idea of preventing anyone from meeting someone.
“We are political people, and we have risen from a grassroots level. The PPP has always stood with democracy and never wants any undemocratic action anywhere,” he said.
The governor said he was fully confident that if the meeting took place, it would not cause any harm to the country.
Later, KP Governor Kundi was asked about how did he see his “working relationship” with Afridi shaping up. At that, Kundi said the newly elected chief minister was currently engaged in activities pertaining to formation and “settlement” of his cabinet. “He is in Rawalpindi to meet his party’s founder. His cabinet is yet to be formed, and then he will move forward on this.” Staff Report
