Sohail Afridi’s brother moves high court for his recovery
The brother of former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister Sohail Afridi has filed a constitutional petition in the Peshawar High Court seeking his immediate recovery after he was taken into protective custody following the imposition of emergency rule in the province.
Muhammad Amir, the former chief minister’s brother, has asked the court to take urgent notice of the matter, order Afridi’s recovery and direct authorities to produce him before the court.
The petition alleges that armed and masked men abducted Afridi from the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar while the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) was also present at the location.
It argues that depriving an elected chief executive of his liberty and moving him to an undisclosed location violates Articles 4, 9, 10 and 14 of the Constitution, which concern the right to be dealt with in accordance with law, security of person, safeguards against unlawful detention and the dignity of individuals.
The petitioner has expressed concern for Afridi’s safety and liberty and asked the court to direct the CCPO to preserve security arrangements, CCTV footage and all other evidence relating to the alleged incident. The petition also seeks a comprehensive report on the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
It further calls for an independent and impartial investigation to identify those responsible and ensure that legal action is taken against them.
The petition was filed amid political uncertainty in KP after President Asif Ali Zardari declared an emergency and suspended the provincial government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Authorities have confirmed that Afridi and seven other PTI leaders, including provincial assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, party leader Junaid Akbar and former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur, were taken into protective custody.
Police have said the leaders were detained in view of the law and order situation and for their own security, maintaining that they had not been formally arrested.
The petition places the circumstances of Afridi’s custody before the high court, which has been asked to order his recovery and examine the legality of the actions alleged by the petitioner.