Story summary
Sohail Afridi, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), claimed on Wednesday that a would-be assassin was captured by his security detail during a visit to Wazirabad in Punjab. However, the Gujranwala Police refuted this claim, stating that the detained individual was actually a constable assigned to provide security for Afridi.
Afridi has been traveling across Punjab since Monday to gather support from party members ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s planned nationwide protest on September 27. During his visit, he accused local authorities of creating obstacles by cutting off power and damaging electricity generators at two residences in Sialkot before moving to Wazirabad.
In an X post at 5:49am the same day, Afridi reiterated that his security team had apprehended a "bearded man" carrying a pistol and handed him over to the local SHO (station house officer) named Saqlain. The KP CM's claims sparked tensions between Punjab authorities and the PTI leader, highlighting political friction in Pakistan.
Written for “Constable Death Controversy” on 2026-09-17,
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday claimed that his security detail had apprehended a man allegedly sent to kill him.
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detail → claim → him
Gujranwala Police, however, refuted the claim, saying the detained man was a constable deployed for the chief minister’s security.
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man → refute → security
The KP chief minister has been visiting Punjab since Monday to mobilise party supporters ahead of the PTI’s nationwide protest scheduled for Sept 27.
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minister → visit → Sept
Earlier on Wednesday, Afridi issued a video statement, which he said was recorded shortly before 5am, giving his version of events.
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he → issue → events
The KP CM alleged that hurdles were created during his stay in Sialkot, with power supplies cut off and the electricity generators at two residences he visited “ruined”.
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he → allege → residences
He subsequently travelled to Wazirabad.
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He → travel → Wazirabad
“They had sent an assassin after us with the intention to kill.
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They → send → intention
When we arrived in Wazirabad, my security team apprehended this armed individual, recovered a pistol from him, and handed him over to the local SHO (station house officer),” he claimed.
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he → arrive → SHO
Afridi reiterated his stance in an X post at 5:49am, saying his security team handed the “bearded man” over to SHO Saqlain after apprehending him.
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team → reiterate → him
The KP CM recalled that he was supposed to spend the night in Sialkot, but the electricity was “cut off”.
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electricity → recall → Sialkot
He added that power at two other locations was also disconnected, after which he travelled to Wazirabad.
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he → add → Wazirabad
“Now, the electricity here has also been cut off.
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electricity → cut → ?
I cannot go anywhere else from here now,” the chief minister lamented.
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minister → go → ?
However, in separate statements, Gujranwala Police and Wazirabad City police station said the man was Constable Muqadas Ali, who had been deployed on security duty for Afridi.
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who → say → Afridi
Gujranwala Police said the constable was “subjected to severe physical assault by members of the chief minister’s protection team”.
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constable → say → team
“Importantly, Constable Muqadas Ali was allegedly assaulted in the presence of the SHO City Wazirabad, who intervened and after considerable effort, managed to rescue the constable.
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who → assault → constable
The SHO’s presence can also be clearly seen in footage and images from the scene,” the statement said.
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statement → see → scene
The police said the “misrepresentation of facts” and the constable’s “portrayal as a killer is a matter of serious concern”.
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misrepresentation → say → concern
According to Gujranwala Police, following the incident, “claims portraying Constable Ali as a ‘killer’ emerged from representatives” of the KP CM.
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claims → accord → CM
“These claims misrepresent the facts, despite his identity having already been established at the scene and his departmental identity card having been presented.”
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card → misrepresent → scene
The police asserted that “any baseless and factually incorrect portrayal of its personnel is unacceptable”.
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portrayal → assert → personnel
“Misrepresenting facts and portraying a police officer deployed on official duty as a killer is strongly condemnable,” it added.
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it → misrepresent → killer
“It is a matter of serious concern that, after the incident, the constable was allegedly portrayed as a ‘murderer’, despite his identity and official duty being established at the spot,” the statement from Wazirabad City police said.
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statement → portray → police
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari also reiterated the police’s stance.
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Bokhari → reiterate → stance
“God knows why such fits of madness strike them as soon as they reach Wazirabad,” she quipped.
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she → know → Wazirabad
On Nov 3, 2022, during PTI’s long march in Wazirabad, former premier Imran Khan and several others were injured in a gun attack, while one worker had lost his life.
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worker → injure → life
In 2025, a man was handed life imprisonment for the attack, while two others were acquitted.
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others → hand → attack
On Monday night, Afridi alleged he was “abducted” by authorities in Lahore and later “thrown” by the roadside — a claim the Punjab government swiftly denied.
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government → allege → roadside
In a video shared by Bokhari, Afridi could be seen voluntarily walking towards and boarding the police vehicle.
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Afridi → share → vehicle
He then refuses to dismount, while an individual can be heard asking the chief minister to “please leave the vehicle”.
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individual → refuse → vehicle
Afridi turned his Lahore visit into a full-fledged political showdown, lashing out at the Punjab government, refusing security and vowing to rid the country of “fake rulers” through a nationwide street movement on September 27.
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Afridi → turn → September
Speaking on Tuesday, CM Afridi alleged that Punjab police had blocked routes, arrested party workers and removed tents from a protest camp.
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police → speak → camp
On its part, the Punjab government has imposed a ban on gatherings across the province from September 13 to 17.
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government → impose → 17
District authorities had also issued preventive detention orders against dozens of PTI workers under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order, including 31 in one Punjab notification and a further 14 in Toba Tek Singh.
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authorities → issue → Singh
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