LAHORE/GUJRAT: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has dismissed the allegations made by KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi regarding jail meeting permissions, stressing that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has no role whatsoever in arranging or influencing meetings between prisoners and visitors.

In a detailed response, Ms Bukhari said that the chief minister “never interferes in the work of any government official,” and that all meetings inside jails were strictly governed by established prison rules.

She said that political meetings were categorically prohibited under jail regulations, and the jail superintendent was the “final authority” on all such matters. She explained that prison officials only facilitate meetings between inmates and their immediate family members and that the list of approved visitors was provided by the prisoner himself.

“If an inmate does not wish to meet someone, jail authorities cannot forcibly arrange such a meeting,” she added.

Suggests KP CM to study the law; Kundi again rules out governor’s rule

Clarifying the situation of the PTI founder, Ms Bukhari said that he was allowed meetings twice a week and had already held 420 meetings with his lawyers and 189 meetings with his family members. She noted that meetings requested by Bushra Bibi’s family were handled separately.

“Yet, every week, a rally is staged outside the jail as if no meetings are being allowed,” she remarked.

Criticising Sohail Afridi, the minister said that he should “study the law himself before attempting to lecture others”.

She accused him of standing alongside “convicted offenders of the May 9 attacks” and of intimidating government officials during political gatherings.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Kareem Kundi has again ruled out the possibility of imposition of governor’s rule in KP and termed the social media reports of his removal baseless.

He said his Friday’s meeting with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif was to discuss the law and order situation and other matters related to the well-being of the people in KP.

He was talking to the media at Kothi Nawab Shaib after offering condolences with former MNA Nawabzada Ghazanfar Gul on the demise of his brother and veteran parliamentarian Nawabzada Mazhar Ali Khan here on Saturday.

JUI-F MNA from KP Noor Alam Khan, ex-MPA Nawabzada Haider Mehdi, Gujrat PML-N president Tahirul Mulk and other members of Nawabzada family were also present at the occasion.

Mr Kundi said the KP province had been a victim of terrorism but still some elements were unnecessarily opposing even the intelligence-based operation.

He said now the educational institutions had come under attack of terrorists who had also been targeting the police, army and Frontier Constabulary which could not be tolerated.

He said the role of federal government and armed forces was vital for the peace and stability in the KP where huge reservoirs of oil, gas and other mines had been found which could become beneficial for the country and the province.

Earlier, he offered prayers for the departed soul.

Meanwhile, former federal minister Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and his son and PML-Q MNA Hussain Elahi also offered condolences with the Nawabzada family on the death of the ex-MNA.

Wajahat and his son, have been the political rivals of the Nawabzada family for the last three decades in the electoral politics of NA-63 (Jalalpur Jattan-Tanda) of Gujrat district.

Senior PPP leaders Nadeem Afzal Chan, Qamar Zaman Kaira and others also visited the Nawabzada family for the condolences.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2025