Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Afridi, senior PTI official reportedly arrested — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Junaid Akbar, head of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has claimed that he and Chief Minister, Muhammad Sohail Afridi, have been arrested. Pakistan’s federal government has not yet officially commented on the reported arrests. In a post on X on Sunday, Akbar said the arrests of Afridi and himself showed how far “fascism” had spread in the country. He added that democratic values, the Constitution, the rule of law and the people’s mandate were continually being undermined. “Instead of addressing political differences through dialogue and democratic processes, arrests and state repression are being used,” he said. Geo News also reported, citing Akbar’s post, that he and Afridi had been arrested. The arrests come amid escalating political tensions in Pakistan. On Sunday, the federal government, with the president’s approval, declared an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following growing protests by supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan. According to Geo News, the President’s Office said in a post on X that President Asif Ali Zardari had signed a federal cabinet proposal to declare an emergency and impose governor’s rule in the province, citing the security situation. The developments come as a PTI-led march towards Islamabad, headed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, has been under way since October 4.