PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Friday cautioned against the “selective application of law and targeting of a single political entity”, saying such a conduct of authorities sets a precedent with wider implications for the political system as a whole.

Addressing the Lawyers’ Jirga here, Mr Afridi said that the court cases involving PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were scheduled for hearing on April 22, so the legal fraternity should ensure that those proceedings strictly adhere to the principles of transparency and due process.

He announced that a similar jirga would be held in Karachi on April 27 to discuss the future course of action.

The chief minister said that in the absence of demonstrable progress towards ensuring free and fair trials of the PTI founder and his wife by May 5, a nationwide pen-down strike would be observed on May 6 as a form of peaceful and lawful protest.

Afridi says disregard for judicial authority ‘undermines credibility of the rule of law’

“The present moment demands principled action,” he said, adding that failure to assert rule of law could have long-term implications for democratic freedoms and civil liberties.

Afridi said that a proposal to convene the jirga had emanated from judges with the objective of enabling a structured and lawful response to an unconstitutional and irregular governance environment where human rights and the justice system were suffocating with every passing day, according to a statement from the CM Office.

He underscored that the lawyers’ community possessed the resolve, capacity and institutional standing to uphold constitutional order.

Expressing serious concern over the non-compliance with judicial directives, Mr Afridi said that despite authorisation from three judges of the Islamabad High Court to meet “illegally incarcerated” former prime minister Imran Khan, superintendent of the Adiala Jail didn’t implement the court’s orders.

“It is a matter of grave institutional concern. Disregard for judicial authority undermines both constitutional supremacy and the credibility of the rule of law,” he said.

The chief minister said that his government and political party remained committed to the supremacy of the Constitution, equitable justice and the protection of fundamental rights.

He observed that prevailing circumstances reflected a significant erosion of due process, citing the inhumane treatment of Imran and, in particular, his spouse, a non-political individual who had been subjected to prolonged isolation and restricted access to legal counsel and family members.

Afridi said that while his position remained firmly within the bounds of constitutionalism and non-violence, there was a need for lawful and democratic resistance to safeguard institutional integrity.

He said that he had sought a meeting with a judge of the Islamabad High Court but the meeting didn’t materialise despite a prolonged wait, which was indicative of broader systemic challenges within the justice delivery framework.

The chief minister expressed concerns over reports of the lawyers being subjected to military court proceedings and said that such developments had heightened the responsibility of lawyers as custodians of constitutionalism.

Calling upon the legal community to play a proactive role, he assured it of the full support of both his government and people.

Afridi said the massive participation of lawyers in the Peshawar jirga had sent a clear and consequential message and that the movement for constitutional supremacy would gain further momentum.

He expressed confidence that adherence to justice and truth would ultimately prevail.

PTI general secretary Barrister Salman Akram Raja and other speakers also addressed the gathering, reaffirming their commitment to upholding the Constitution, ending coercive practices and ensuring access to justice.

The event concluded with the adoption of joint resolutions calling for continued collective efforts to reinforce the rule of law and democratic norms across the country.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2026