inp
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has claimed that Sohail Afridi is in police custody in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for his protection and has neither been formally arrested nor charged in any case. Speaking on Samaa TV’s programme Red Line, Tarar said Afridi was taken into protective custody following the imposition of an emergency and governor’s rule in the province. He maintained that Afridi remained in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that Shafi Jan and other individuals had fled when the authorities took Afridi into custody. Tarar alleged that Afridi had been engaged in protests while the province was experiencing terrorist violence. The minister further claimed that Afridi had sought safe passage from terrorists to travel through a particular area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also accused Afridi of having led violent protests in the past. Tarar said some people had been taken into custody, while others had gone into hiding or fled. He added that claims of large public participation in protests had not materialised, alleging that residents of the province had welcomed Afridi’s departure. The minister also referred to a Gallup survey, claiming it showed public support for the government’s action. He did not provide further details of the survey during the remarks quoted in the report.