Business Recorder
ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi slammed the federal government on Monday, accusing it of deliberately twisting Kasim Khan’s remarks to jeopardise Pakistan’s GSP+ trade status with the EU, insisting the comments had been blown out of context. Speaking at a press conference, Afridi made it clear: if Pakistan loses its GSP+ status, the blame rests squarely on the federal government’s mismanagement. “The people delivered a clear mandate,” he said, “yet a fake government has been imposed on the people of Pakistan.” He condemned the federal government for stirring unnecessary controversy over Kasim Khan, the son of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, saying his words, translated into Urdu, simply reflected a son’s concern for his father – not politics. Afridi did not hold back on the broader picture. “The real crisis is Pakistan’s democracy, battered for decades,” he said, accusing the 8 February elections of vote manipulation that undermined the democratic process. He also highlighted systemic violations of democratic freedoms and human rights, pointing to journalists facing intimidation and the suppression of dissent. “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right for every citizen,” he said, “yet it is being curtailed under the current regime.” Turning to other grievances, Afridi expressed concern for the health of Khan’s wife and criticised the federal government’s environmental record. He pointed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s strides in afforestation while accusing federal authorities of failing to protect the environment. He also blamed corruption and economic mismanagement for the country’s woes, arguing that functioning industries could have eased the trade deficit. The federal government, he added, was running the economy on debt while detaining Imran Khan unjustly and treating Khan’s family inhumanely. Afridi contrasted his province’s 45 percent green coverage with the deforestation rampant under the federal administration, charging that the current government’s actions were “against human rights.” Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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