Sohail Afridi, former KP cabinet members taken into ‘preventive custody’, Talal Chaudhry confirms

ISLAMABAD: Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi and some members of his cabinet have been taken into “preventive custody” following the imposition of emergency rule in the province, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry confirmed to Reuters on Monday.

“Yes, I can confirm that the chief minister (Sohail Afridi) and some of his cabinet members have been taken into preventive custody,” Chaudhry told Reuters.

He said the detainees would be charged and tried if they had cases against them, while the others would be released. The detentions took place on Sunday, he added.

PTI aide Shaukat Yousafzai condemned the detentions and demanded the release of those taken into custody.

The development follows the suspension of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government after President Asif Ali Zardari promulgated emergency rule in KP amid a worsening security situation and escalating tensions between the federal government and the opposition party.