ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday directed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to respond within 10 days regarding plans to form a “release force” aimed at securing the release of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan.
The proposed force was announced by CM Afridi in February following a multi-day protest seeking a meeting with Khan, who has been imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail since August 5, 2023. The initiative is intended to continue the party’s efforts for Khan’s release.
A three-member bench led by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan heard a petition filed by Zaheer Ahmed. His lawyer, Ali Nawaz, presented documents on the formation of the release force, arguing that it posed a threat to public order and peace. Nawaz also cited a previous Sindh High Court ruling on law and order in Karachi.
When Justice Ali Baqir Najafi inquired if the provincial cabinet had approved the force, the lawyer confirmed no such permission had been granted. The court then formally sought a response from CM Afridi within 10 days and issued a notice to the federal government, instructing it to ensure the Constitution and law are not violated in forming the force.
The announcement had sparked debate within PTI, with some leaders questioning whether the force might mirror past militant outfits like Al-Zulfikar, formed by the sons of former PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1979. A senior party member, speaking anonymously, described the announcement as “shocking.”
Meanwhile, other party leaders argued that protests should begin immediately rather than delaying for membership drives, following PTI leader Salman Akram Raja’s statement that registration for the movement would start after Eidul Fitr.