Muhammad Asim Saddiqi 
Rawalpindi: Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi has stated that his remarks were taken out of context. Speaking to journalists outside Adiala Jail, Sohail Afridi clarified that he did not contact the police or any institution to express support for a particular candidate. He said he merely issued orders to prevent electoral rigging and did not threaten anyone.
Sohail Afridi added that he has court orders permitting him to meet PTI founder Imran Khan. Despite this, he is being denied access, even though he has followed constitutional and democratic procedures.
Chief Minister said he had requested the Prime Minister on the very first day to facilitate the meeting, as he was seeking a cooperative working relationship with the federal government. However, based on the response he received, he did not find it appropriate to make the request again.
Sohail Afridi lamented that whenever someone speaks out, a case is registered against them. It is worth recalling that during a rally in Abbottabad, Sohail Afridi had warned the administration and police that if any unrest occurred on election day, they would not remain in office. Election Commission subsequently took notice of these remarks, deeming them threatening.
Election Commission has requested the Secretaries of Defence and Interior to take notice of the threats made by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa towards government employees.
According to the Commission’s Spokesperson, the conduct of the by-election in NA-18 has become challenging due to the irresponsible behavior of the Chief Executive. The lives of the district administration, police, election staff and voters have been put at risk.
The spokesperson emphasized that the safety of the RO, election staff, voters and the general public must be ensured. Security arrangements should be in place during the departure of the Presiding Officer to the polling station and from the RO office after the election. The movement of the Presiding Officer and election materials must be protected, and strict legal action should be taken against any individual or public office holder who attempts to interfere with the peaceful conduct of the election.
