Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi affirmed on Tuesday that he will continue in his role until he receives fresh directives from PTI’s imprisoned founding chairman, Imran Khan. Afridi dismissed rumors about any imminent changes in the provincial leadership during a media interaction in Rawalpindi.
Quoting Imran Khan, Afridi recalled that the PTI founder had previously declared that no one could replace him as long as he remained the party’s preferred choice. “Imran Khan stated that if Sohail Afridi is the chief minister, no power in the world can remove him,” Afridi emphasized. He added, “Until I get a new message from the PTI leader, I will remain the chief minister.”
This statement comes amid escalating political tensions within PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter. Reports indicate the emergence of a forward bloc within the party, with nearly 30 MPAs absent from a parliamentary meeting called by Afridi on Sunday—a move widely interpreted as a deliberate act of dissent. The situation has intensified due to behind-the-scenes maneuvering, as several senior party members vie for the chief ministership, mobilizing their support bases and raising the stakes in provincial politics.
Addressing the media earlier, Afridi insisted that only the PTI founder could remove the provincial government and dismissed the reports of a forward bloc as mere propaganda. He also called for Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment, urging authorities to permit family visits if others are being denied access.
On fiscal matters, Afridi announced that the provincial cabinet had approved the budget documents, promising a people-centric budget. “We have not prepared a surplus budget. Our priorities are health, education, agriculture, youth, and forestry,” he stated. Afridi suggested that rumors about internal party divisions were being spread to distract from the upcoming federal budget, which will impact all provinces, including Gilgit-Baltistan.
In a significant development, PTI has formed a six-member committee led by Asad Qaiser to address the growing rift between its parliamentary members and the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The committee, officially notified by the PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Secretariat, aims to restore unity and coordination within the party’s provincial structure swiftly.
The panel includes senior party figures from both legislative and organizational ranks, such as KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and Provincial General Secretary Ali Asghar Khan, providing it with legislative authority and administrative influence. Its main role is to act as a liaison between Members of Parliament, the parliamentary party, and the provincial government—three key party tiers whose misalignment has fueled ongoing internal tensions.
