Sohail Afridi’s brother moves PHC to trace his whereabouts

PESHAWAR – The brother of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday approached the Peshawar High Court (PHC), seeking his whereabouts and recovery.

On October 11, the federal government imposed an emergency and governor’s rule in KP under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed the same day that Afridi, along with several cabinet members and party leaders, had been abducted.

However, officials confirmed the following day that Afridi and some members of his cabinet were in preventive custody. The state minister for interior said those facing pending cases would be charged and tried, while the remaining individuals would be released.

Muhammad Amir, Afridi’s brother, filed a petition through senior counsel Bashir Khan Wazir, requesting the high court to direct the respondents, including the KP inspector general of police (IGP), Peshawar capital city police officer (CCPO) and other relevant authorities, to take immediate and effective legal measures to trace and recover his brother.

The petition further requested that if Afridi was found to be in custody, he should be produced before the court to determine the legality of his detention under Article 199(1)(b)(i) of the Constitution.

Amir maintained that the alleged detention and disappearance were “wholly illegal, unlawful, without lawful authority and of no legal effect”. He argued that the respondents had failed to disclose any lawful order, warrant or other legal authority under which his brother had allegedly been taken into custody.

The petitioner also sought directions for the relevant authorities to submit a comprehensive report detailing Afridi’s whereabouts, current condition, legal status and the measures taken to trace and recover him.

He specifically requested the court to direct the CCPO to provide a detailed report on the alleged incident at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar at around 2pm on October 11, 2026. The report, he said, should explain the circumstances in which Afridi was allegedly taken away, the security arrangements in place, the individuals present at the time and the actions taken immediately afterwards.

Amir further urged the court to order the preservation and lawful examination of all relevant CCTV footage, security logs, entry and exit registers, duty rosters, vehicle access records and other contemporaneous evidence related to the incident, including footage from nearby entrances, exits and adjoining routes.

The petition also sought the registration of a first information report (FIR) and a “prompt, impartial and effective investigation” into the alleged abduction, disappearance and illegal detention.

Amir requested that the court order Afridi’s immediate release if he was found to be held in unlawful or improper custody.

Seeking interim relief pending the final disposal of the writ petition, the petitioner asked the court to direct the respondents to immediately establish Afridi’s whereabouts and submit a preliminary report within a timeframe determined by the court.

He also requested that the respondents be ordered to produce Afridi before the court if he was found to be in the custody or control of any individual or authority, enabling the court to determine the legality of his detention.