KP CM claims he was ‘abducted’ by authorities in Lahore; Punjab minister denies allegations

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday claimed he was “abducted” by authorities in Lahore and later “thrown” by the roadside, a claim denied by Punjab Information Minister. “We were abducted, and then, when they received pressure from somewhere, they threw me by the roadside without security and left, ” Afridi claimed. Afridi further alleged that there was a “conspiracy to abduct the chief minister of a province”, adding that he had earlier warned that “they want to divide the country”. However, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari claimed that the KP chief minister had boarded a police vehicle of his own accord. In the video shared by Bokhari, Afridi can be seen voluntarily walking towards and boarding the police vehicle. He then refuses to dismount, while an individual can be heard asking the chief minister to “please leave the vehicle”. A post on the KP chief minister’s official X account at around 9pm said Afridi “himself got on a Punjab Police van and reached a police station”. Another post, published minutes earlier, said Afridi was present with party workers at a protest rally on Lahore’s Mall Road. More to follow

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