LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi over his recent activities in Lahore and comments about police incidents.
Speaking on the television program Nuqta-e-Nazar, Bukhari made several claims about Afridi’s conduct, an alleged abduction, and an incident in Wazirabad.
She also criticized what she described as a political “drama” during Afridi’s Lahore visit.
Bukhari Questions Afridi’s Police Incident
Bukhari claimed that Afridi abused police officers before later entering a police van himself.
She said video footage of the incident had appeared on several news channels.
According to Bukhari, Afridi initially claimed that police had abducted him. She said his later account indicated that he had entered the vehicle himself.
Bukhari said she had shared video footage to present what she described as the facts of the incident.
Earlier reports also quoted Bukhari as saying that Afridi deliberately sat in the police vehicle and that the incident was not an arrest.
Dispute Over Plainclothes Police Officer
Bukhari also discussed the Wazirabad incident involving a plainclothes police constable.
She said a constable named Muqaddas Ali was subjected to violence. According to Bukhari, the SHO at the scene identified him as a police officer.
She said the deployment of security personnel in plain clothes was a routine practice.
Bukhari also referred to Afridi and some of his associates as proclaimed offenders. She linked the issue to the arrest of PTI leader Hamad Azhar.
Afridi has given a different account of the Wazirabad incident. He previously alleged that an armed man in plain clothes had been sent to kill him. The Punjab government rejected that claim and said the man was a police constable on duty.
Bukhari Criticizes Lahore Street Movement
Bukhari also criticized what she called a “street movement” during Afridi’s Lahore visit.
She alleged that videos were being recorded to portray Afridi and his supporters as victims.
She also referred to a visit to the home of a worker named Ishtiaq. Bukhari said religion was invoked during the visit.
According to her, however, Ishtiaq’s family spoke about cooperation from the Punjab Police.
Bukhari has previously criticized Afridi’s Lahore activities and questioned why the KP chief minister was visiting Lahore while protests and strikes were taking place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
‘I Would Have Opened Alhamra Hall’
Commenting on Afridi’s conduct, Bukhari made a sarcastic remark about his activities in Lahore.
She said that if Afridi had come to Lahore to “stage a drama,” she could have arranged for Alhamra Hall to be opened for him.
Bukhari also accused Afridi of sometimes using what she called the “religion card” and at other times making aggressive statements in the style of Pakistani film actor Sultan Rahi.
These comments were part of Bukhari’s criticism of Afridi’s political activities and public statements.
Dispute Over Maryam Nawaz’s London Trip
Bukhari also addressed questions surrounding Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s recent London visit.
She said the chief minister had personally paid all expenses related to the trip.
Bukhari said she would share the relevant records and receipts once they became available to her.
The issue has drawn criticism from opposition figures, who have questioned the use of the Punjab government’s aircraft for the visit. Bukhari has rejected those allegations and maintained that Maryam Nawaz paid the expenses herself.
Bukhari added that political criticism could continue even after the records and receipts were made public.
