Tensions flare in Pakistan as Defense Minister Khawaja Asif targets Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afreedi, hinting at his ouster for launching the provocative ‘Release Imran Khan Force.’ Asif called it an unlawful overstep, reminding that force creation is a federal domain alone.
Quoting Asif via local outlets, the force reeks of Afreedi’s panic to retain power. The federal stalwart also debunked talks of shipping Khan overseas or to his Galla home, terming them exaggerated bids to stir endless controversy.
Afreedi’s move synced with the February 18 dispersal of PTI-led TTPAP protests encircling Parliament House. From a Supreme Court vicinity podium, he disclosed Khan’s jail mandate for orchestrating street-level resistance.
Blasting alleged judicial non-compliance—like barring Khan’s doctors—Afreedi sketched a registered, peaceful outfit set for Peshawar oaths after Eid-ul-Fitr. Command structures, he assured, would bow to Khan’s choices, with full prep before mobilization.
The crusade, per Afreedi, enshrines constitutionalism, democratic ethos, and media liberty. Jailed in Adiala since August 2023 post-corruption verdict, Khan remains a lightning rod. Asif’s rebuke amplifies central control assertions against regional pushback, portending turbulent times ahead in Islamabad’s power plays.