Afridi Abduction Claim Sparks Major Political Standoff Across Pakistan Today

Sohail Afridi – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – The Afridi abduction claim has triggered a fresh political storm between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi says he was picked up by force and later left alone on a roadside without any guards.

Afridi said the whole event was planned. He claimed that someone wanted to create trouble between the provinces. He also said he had warned earlier that certain people wish to divide the country.

But Punjab’s side tells a different story. Information Minister Azma Bokhari said Afridi walked into the police vehicle on his own. She shared a video that shows him getting inside without any force.

پنجاب پر قابض تھیف منسٹر نے پستی کی تمام حدود کراس کر لی ہیں۔

ایک دوسرے صوبے کے موجودہ وزیر اعلیٰ کو اغوا کرنا وفاق پر حملہ اور اور بدترین گراوٹ ہے!

ایک طرف یہ دعویٰ کہ ہندوستان سے نہیں بلکہ اپنے ہی ملک کے لوگوں سے ڈر لگتا ہے، اور دوسری طرف یہ سستی اور گھٹیا حرکت—کیا اب اس پر… pic.twitter.com/wVkjnrrEs9

— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 14, 2026

According to Bokhari, the police driver panicked when a crowd gathered around the van. He thought his team was under attack, so he drove off. The vehicle stopped soon after, and people got down near a footpath.

Bokhari also mocked Afridi’s claim of political pressure. She said no such pressure existed and joked about his blood pressure instead.

ایک اور ڈرامہ بازی ملاحظہ کریں،خود جا کر پولیس وین میں بیٹھ گئے،پولیس والے اترنے کو کہہ رہے ہیں،اپنے گارڈذ کو اپنا ڈرامہ بلاک کرنے پر جھاڑ کر پرے کردیا،فرمائشی اور سستی ایکٹینگ
انکو عزت دے رہے ہیں لیکن یہ اسکے لائق ہی نہیں pic.twitter.com/CXVeRGAu0u

— Azma Zahid Bokhari (@AzmaBokhariPMLN) September 14, 2026

A KP government official gave another version. He said Afridi entered the van to help free some party workers. When a few were released and others were not, Afridi refused to step out.

Even Afridi’s own social media posts added confusion. One post said he reached a police station in a police van. Another post, shared minutes earlier, placed him at a rally on Mall Road.

KP’s information minister Shafi Jan backed Afridi. He said the police tried to abduct an elected chief minister, calling it an attack on the country’s federal structure.

The arrest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s elected Chief Minister, Sohail Khan Afridi, is an insult to the mandate and dignity of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

First the Punjab Chief Minister portrayed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a greater terrorism and security threat than even a…

— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 14, 2026

PTI also condemned the incident. The party said such actions could increase distance and mistrust between provinces. It urged everyone to avoid ethnic or provincial hatred.

The event happened during Afridi’s visit to Lahore, where he faced police blockades and heated moments with his convoy. He has now announced a nationwide protest movement for September 27.