Pakistan’s political fault lines deepened as Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afreedi’s days in office may be numbered. The trigger: Afreedi’s declaration of the ‘Release Imran Khan Force,’ which Asif branded wholly unconstitutional and unauthorized.
In media interactions, Asif painted the force as Afreedi’s survival strategy amid job insecurity. He stressed the exclusive federal prerogative over forming any security apparatus, leaving no room for provincial adventurism.
Asif also quashed swirling rumors of ex-PM Imran Khan’s potential exile or shift to Galla residence. ‘Possibly some facility talks, but no relocation plans,’ he said, dismissing the buzz as self-serving propaganda.
This outburst followed Afreedi’s February 18 presser outside the Supreme Court, right after TTPAP’s Parliament sit-in ended. Citing Khan’s instructions from jail—where he’s been since his August 2023 corruption arrest—Afreedi positioned himself as the vanguard of a mass agitation.
He leveled charges of court order breaches, particularly Khan’s denied access to personal physicians. The force, Afreedi detailed, will register formally, pledge non-violence, swear allegiance post-Eid in Peshawar, and adhere to Khan-defined leadership hierarchies.
Prioritizing thorough preparations, the initiative pledges fidelity to the constitution, bolstering democracy and press freedom. Khan endures in Rawalpindi’s Adiala facility. Asif’s salvo highlights simmering federal-provincial hostilities, with broader implications for Pakistan’s stability.