Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi and several senior PTI leaders held in protective custody are being kept together at an undisclosed site, according to available information. The detentions came as Afridi was removed from his official residence in Peshawar in the early hours of October 11.
Security arrangements were completed and the Red Zone was sealed by around 5am, the information said.
Afridi’s removal from the Chief Minister House
Afridi was alone in a locked room when the door was forced open and two officers entered. They stayed with him for roughly 30 to 40 minutes and spoke with him in what was described as a cordial atmosphere. Reports said he appeared anxious before he was moved to an undisclosed location.
He was not handcuffed, and no inappropriate treatment was reported during the process.
Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and Junaid Akbar detained
KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati was also placed in protective custody at the Speaker House, where former Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister Khalid Khurshid was present. PTI leader Junaid Akbar, reportedly found in a room connected to the kitchen, was taken as well.
According to the information, the leaders were taken away with “dignity and respect”, and their mobile phones and other belongings were also removed.
Lawyer Muhammad Bashir picked up and released
Advocate Muhammad Bashir, who had petitioned the Peshawar High Court against Afridi’s detention, was picked up from outside the court premises. Lawyers then approached the Peshawar High Court chief justice, who advised them to submit a petition.
Bashir was released shortly afterwards. Reports indicated that he had been detained under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
