Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has accused Punjab authorities of abducting him during a visit to Lahore and later dumping him by the roadside without security. The claim has sparked a sharp political clash after Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari dismissed the entire episode as pure drama.
Afridi told supporters that officials took him away and only released him once pressure mounted from higher levels. He described the incident as a deliberate conspiracy against an elected chief minister of a province and warned that such moves risk dividing the country. A senior KP official travelling with him offered a different version. According to that account, Afridi voluntarily boarded a police van to help free detained party workers. Some workers were released, yet others stayed inside. Afridi refused to step out until everyone was freed. Police then drove the vehicle some distance before forcing the chief minister to leave.
Bokhari strongly rejected any suggestion of abduction. She said Afridi entered the police vehicle on his own. Video footage shared by the minister shows him walking toward the van and climbing inside. Later he is seen refusing to exit while someone asks him to leave the vehicle. Bokhari explained that a crowd of PTI supporters gathered around the van, leading the driver to believe the vehicle was under attack. The driver moved a short distance and then stopped. She questioned why no passersby reported seeing the chief minister sitting alone on the footpath and insisted no arrest took place. Guards and a cameraman were present, she added.
KP Information Minister Shafi Jan supported Afridi and accused Punjab Police of high-handedness. He claimed the chief minister was separated from his security and moved to a remote spot before being left without protection. PTI called the treatment an insult to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and warned it could create mistrust between provinces.
The confrontation unfolded as Afridi arrived in Lahore to offer condolences to the family of a party worker. His convoy faced police blockades and scuffles with officers. Afridi rejected Punjab security, criticised the force, and announced a nationwide street movement for 27 September against what he called fake rulers. He also responded to recent remarks by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz by saying he feels no threat from the people of Punjab.
