PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly adopted a joint resolution here on Tuesday, condemning Punjab’s government and police for “ridiculing KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi by illegally confining him and withdrawing his security detail” during a visit to Lahore on Monday night.

“Such action cannot be justified as a routine act of political retaliation under any circumstances. It’s intolerable,” reads the resolution that was tabled by law minister Aftab Alam Afridi on the floor of the house.

The session was chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati who suspended the agenda at the request of the law minister and allowed the house to discuss the “alleged abduction” of KP Leader of the House CM Afridi by police in Lahore.

“This house condemns, in the strongest terms, the alarming incident involving the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Sohail Khan Afridi, during which he was forcibly placed in a police vehicle by the Punjab Police, separated from his security detail and dropped off on the roadside without security detail,” read the resolution.

Suspends agenda to discuss incident

It added that the house considered that act not merely a political or administrative dispute but a very serious matter concerning the dignity, personal liberty, security and provincial autonomy of the constitutional head of an elected provincial government.

“If an elected chief minister, regardless of any political affiliation, is stopped or moved or his movement is restricted in this manner without any legal justification, proper arrest, written order or legal procedure, it will be contrary to Article 4 of the Constitution, which guarantees the fundamental right to be treated in accordance with the law, Article 9, which protects personal liberty, Article 14, which guarantees human dignity, and Article 25, which provides for equality before the law,” it noted.

The resolution said that relations between the federation and the provinces under the Constitution were based on mutual respect, constitutional limits and the rule of law.

It added that no province’s police or administration had the authority to treat the elected constitutional head of another province in a manner above the law or in a humiliating way on the basis of political differences, administrative grievances or any other pretext.

Through the resolution, the house declared that the uniform of the police or administrative authority didn’t place any government official above the Constitution and the law.

It added that if it was proved that powers were misused or an illegal detention occurred in the incident, legal and departmental action should be taken against the responsible officials without discrimination.

The house also recommended that the federal government immediately conduct a transparent and impartial investigation into the incident.

It also urged the Punjab government to explain the alleged illegal and unconstitutional action and that the role of the police officers and personnel present at the scene, as well as authorities, should be examined along with all available video footage, CCTV recordings and other evidence.

According to the resolution, if it is proved that any official or officer violated the Constitution or the law or exceeded their legal authority, strict legal action must be taken against them in accordance with the law. It also called for necessary measures to protect inter-provincial relations, constitutional federalism and the dignity of elected provincial governments.

Earlier, provincial ministers and MPAs condemned the Punjab government over the alleged abduction of the KP chief minister and manhandling of PTI workers during his recent visit to Lahore.

The speakers included law minister Aftab Alam Afridi, housing minister Dr Amjid Ali, higher education minister Meena Khan Afridi, communication and works minister Shakeel Khan and others.

The chair adjourned the session until Friday due to lack of quorum.

Meanwhile, the parliamentary party of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa strongly condemned the treatment meted out to CM Afridi by the Punjab police, calling it a conspiracy to weaken the federation and spread hatred among provinces against each other.

The parliamentary party met here under the chairmanship of PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar Khan.

The participants included Speaker of the provincial assembly Babar Saleem Swati, senior PTI leaders Asad Qaiser, Shahid Khattak, Shaukat Yousafzai and Shandana Gulzar and provincial ministers and members of the national and provincial assemblies.

The speakers said the behaviour shown by the Punjab police towards the KP chief minister was an insult to the 40.5 million people of the province.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2026