Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warns KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi risks his post after announcing ‘Release Imran Khan Force’ to campaign for jailed ex-premier.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that the political future of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi could be “at risk” after he announced the formation of a so-called ‘Release Imran Khan Force’, calling the move unconstitutional and illegal.
Speaking to local media, including Geo News, Asif said that only the federal government has the authority to create any formal force. He suggested that Afridi’s announcement was aimed at safeguarding his own position rather than addressing constitutional concerns.
“The KP chief minister announced the release force to save his job. Except for the federal government, no one has the right to create any force,” Asif was quoted as saying.
The controversy erupted after Afridi declared on February 18 that a new force would be set up to campaign for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023. The announcement followed the withdrawal of a sit-in staged by lawmakers from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and members of the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aiyeen Pakistan outside Parliament House in Islamabad.
Addressing reporters outside the Supreme Court, Afridi said Khan had entrusted him with leading a “street movement” to press for his release. He alleged that court directives were being ignored and claimed that the jailed PTI founder was being denied access to his personal doctors.
Afridi maintained that the proposed force would be formally registered and would pursue a peaceful struggle. According to him, members would take an oath in Peshawar after Eid al-Fitr, and the movement would function under a defined chain of command, with Khan retaining authority over leadership decisions.
However, Asif dismissed speculation about any potential transfer of Khan abroad or to his residence in Bani Gala, Islamabad. While acknowledging that “approaches” may have been made regarding facilities, he suggested that such talk was politically motivated.
Khan, who was arrested at his Lahore residence following a corruption conviction in August 2023, is currently being held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, a high-security facility.
