Afridi defends Kasim’s remarks at UNHRC as son’s natural concern for his father

ISLAMABAD:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday defended the recent statement by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s son, Kasim Khan, at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), describing it as a natural expression of concern for his father rather than a political act.

Earlier this week, Kasim Khan had urged the UNHRC to intervene and press the Pakistani government for the immediate release of his father.

He highlighted several alleged violations, including arbitrary detention, solitary confinement, denial of medical care, restricted family visits, and the trial of civilians in military courts, asserting that these actions contravened Pakistan’s obligations under the European Union’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus) framework.

In response, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the PTI and Imran Khan’s family of acting against Pakistan’s national and economic interests, claiming that Kasim Khan’s statement undermined the country’s GSP Plus trade status.

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The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) also condemned the remarks, describing them as a “negative propaganda campaign” against Pakistan’s position with the EU.

FPCCI Senior Vice President Saqib Fayyaz Magoon noted that the 2023 extension of GSP Plus status reflected Pakistan’s compliance with international law, with government institutions and the business community aligned with EU standards.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad on Sunday, Afridi criticised attempts to link Kasim’s comments to the GSP Plus agreement, calling such reports a misrepresentation. He said the conversation, translated into Urdu to clarify context, reflected a son’s natural concern for his father and had no political connotations.

He further argued that the real issue is the state of democracy in Pakistan. He claimed that democratic processes have been undermined over the past decades, citing alleged vote rigging during the February 8 elections as an attack on democracy.

“While the people had given a clear mandate, a fake government was imposed outside Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” he said, warning that any loss of GSP Plus status would be the result of federal policies.

Afridi also accused the federal government of violating democratic freedoms and human rights, suppressing journalists, and acting against dissenting voices. “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right of every citizen, yet the current environment restricts this right,” he said. He also expressed concern over the health of Imran Khan’s wife.

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On economic and environmental matters, the chief minister criticised the federal government for running the economy on loans and alleged mismanagement, stating that 45 per cent of K-P remains green, while the “fake government” is cutting forests to create urban settlements.

He also claimed that the former prime minister is being unjustly imprisoned and subjected to inhumane treatment, alongside the PTI founder’s wife, in violation of human rights.