WAZIRABAD: The Punjab government on Wednesday dismissed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s claim that an attempt had been made on his life in Wazirabad, clarifying that the armed man detained near him was a police constable assigned to his security detail.
In a video message, Afridi alleged that a gunman dressed in civilian clothes had been sent to assassinate him. He said his security personnel intercepted the man, recovered a pistol from his possession and handed him over to the police.
The KP chief minister also released a photograph of the detained man.
“An assassin was sent in plain clothes with the intention of killing me,” Afridi said, claiming that his security team apprehended him and recovered a pistol.
Afridi further alleged that police officials had taken away their food and that the electricity supply to the house where he and his team were staying had been cut off.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also issued a statement backing the chief minister’s allegations. The party recalled the 2022 assassination attempt on its founder Imran Khan in Wazirabad and alleged that the Punjab government was concerned over the popularity of Khan and the KP chief minister.
Police identify detained man as constable
Gujranwala City Police Officer (CPO) rejected the allegations, saying the man shown in the photographs was Constable Muqadas Ali, who had been deployed for security duty during the KP chief minister’s visit.
In a statement posted on X, Gujranwala Police said the constable was assigned to the security detail of the KP chief minister and was allegedly subjected to severe physical assault by members of Afridi’s protection team.
According to police, Muqadas Ali identified himself and showed his official departmental identity card at the scene, making it clear that he was performing security duties.
Police said the constable was allegedly beaten in the presence of the SHO City Wazirabad, who intervened and managed to take him to safety after considerable effort. The police said the SHO could also be seen in video footage and photographs recorded at the scene.
Gujranwala Police said that despite the constable’s identity being established, statements subsequently emerged from representatives of the KP chief minister describing him as an alleged “killer”.
The police termed the portrayal misleading and rejected what it called a “baseless and factually incorrect” depiction of an officer deployed on official duty.
It said presenting a police official as an assassin despite his identity having been established was highly condemnable.
Azma Bukhari rejects allegation
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari also rejected Afridi’s claim, saying the individual shown in the images was Constable Muqadas Ali and was carrying out his assigned official responsibilities.
The conflicting accounts from the KP chief minister and Punjab police have sparked a dispute over the circumstances surrounding the detention of the constable in Wazirabad.
The post Punjab govt dismisses KP CM’s assassination attempt claim in Wazirabad appeared first on Karachi News.