KP CM announces street movement in Lahore today

LAHORE: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has announced that he will lead a street movement in Lahore at 5pm today, accusing the Punjab government and police of creating obstacles for protesters and detaining party workers.

In a video message released from Lahore, Afridi said a large number of people had taken to the streets a day earlier without being given any formal call for protest. He alleged that the Punjab Police blocked roads by placing containers and other barriers to restrict movement.

The chief minister said he was currently in Lahore and would come out for the street movement at 5pm. He claimed that the lights at the location where he and his supporters were heading had been switched off.

Afridi further alleged that petrol stations had been closed and vehicles were prevented from getting fuel. He also claimed that tents had been removed from the place where party workers were staying and several workers had been arrested.

According to the KP chief minister, Punjab Police detained the workers and placed them in prisoner vans. He said he stood on top of a police van in protest and demanded that the detained workers be released.

Afridi claimed that authorities assured him that the workers would be freed, but they were not released.

He also alleged that he was taken around Lahore’s roads for around 15 minutes without security before being dropped off midway. He described the incident as a serious security risk.

“I do not face a security threat; rather, I face a threat from the security arrangements themselves,” Afridi said, accusing the Punjab Police of being politicised.

He further alleged that the police force had been “poisoned” through political interference.