Such exaggeration should be avoided for political point-scoring, as alleging the abduction or arrest of a chief minister is serious and could fuel hatred and prejudice between the two provinces, says Iqrar ul Hassan.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 14th Sep, 2026) Awami Raj Party leader Iqrar ul Hassan said Sohail Afridi’s allegation that he was abducted while sitting in a police van appeared exaggerated, adding that such exaggeration should be avoided for political point-scoring.
In a statement on X, Iqrar ul Hassan said it was the Punjab government’s responsibility to respect and honour the visiting chief minister. However, he said that the videos of Sohail Afridi that had emerged since morning portrayed him as an unserious and frivolous young man desperate for social media attention, which in no way boded well for him or for the release of Khan Sahib.
He said that alleging the abduction or arrest of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister in Lahore was a serious charge that could increase hatred and prejudice among the people of both provinces.
He added that making the allegation while sitting in a police van with his colleague, guard and cameraman, without any local police official present, appeared exaggerated, and such exaggeration should be avoided for political point-scoring.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi alleged that Punjab Police had attempted to abduct him and then left him in the middle of the road.
According to PTI on X, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said while speaking to the media that an attempt had been made to abduct the chief minister of a province, after which he was left in the middle of the road.
He said this was not a minor matter and that pressure would now be brought to bear on those responsible.
Earlier, at Masjid Shuhada Chowk, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had himself sat in a police van to secure the release of his workers.
He had told police that he would not get out of the vehicle until his workers were released.
Reacting on X to the chief minister’s abduction statement, Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bukhari said, “You sat in the van yourself and had a video made with the cameraman and guards, and you were abducted? Have some shame and come to your senses.
You were released after allegedly being abducted while laughing and joking in a police van with cameramen and guards? I had told you, Punjab will respond.”
Uzma Bukhari further said, “Here is another drama: he went and sat in the police van himself, while police officers were asking him to get out.
He scolded his guards and pushed them aside for blocking his drama. It was staged and cheap acting. We are treating them with respect, but they do not deserve it.”
