Report, video evidence compiled on Punjab Assembly incident during K-P CM’s visit

An inquiry report, backed by video evidence, has been prepared after a ruckus at the Punjab Assembly during Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s visit on Monday. The investigative committee, formed by Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, has sent the report to IG Punjab, recommending legal action against those involved and seeking assistance from law enforcement for further investigation. According to the report, the opposition-provided guest list included only names, making identification difficult. It revealed that Matiullah Barqi tried to enter the assembly by falsely claiming to be MPA Ashfaq from PK-89. Provincial Minister Meena Khan confirmed that Barqi was not the MPA. Read: Court issues non-bailable arrest warrants for K-P CM Sohail Afridi When asked to leave, Barqi reportedly scuffled with security and used abusive language. The report also noted that opposition assurances to provide two PTI members at the main gate for identification were not met. The guest list lacked ID numbers, photographs, and vehicle details, creating further complications. Security officials’ statements, along with video evidence, have been included in the report, which also flagged the inclusion of a convicted individual, Haider Majeed. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi accused the Punjab government of deliberately obstructing PTI activities during his Lahore visit, describing the treatment of party workers and leaders as “undemocratic” and “fascism on full display”. Read more: Oppression can build roads, not nations: Afridi He claimed police harassed his convoy at multiple locations, including Chakri and Bhera, prevented supporters from joining, and restricted entry at the Punjab Assembly, where scuffles broke out between his security team and assembly staff. Afridi warned that such actions risked inflaming inter-provincial tensions while insisting that the people of Punjab had nonetheless given him a warm welcome. Earlier, He said he is determined to follow the instructions of PTI founder Imran Khan "to the letter" and will keep preparing for a street movement against the government. In a post on X, Afridi, who belongs to the PTI, said on Sunday his position on the planned protest against the government remains unchanged and any news attributed to him "beyond this" is purely someone's personal interpretation. Also read: CM: Will follow Imran's instruction to the letter "My leader has instructed me to manage the administrative affairs of my province while also preparing for a street movement. God willing, I will follow these instructions to the letter," he said. Afridi, who is scheduled to visit Karachi next week, noted that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has invited him for a meeting "in keeping with democratic values and respect for office". "I thanked him [Shah] and said that during the visit I would meet the people of my province, and if they faced any difficulty or issue there, I would certainly meet him to seek its resolution," he added.

from Punjab News Updates and Insights - The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/Z6LEktQ