According to officials and video footage circulating on social media, Afridi had arrived at the Punjab Assembly along with his representatives when assembly security attempted to stop their entry. During the confrontation, Fateh Ullah Burki, one of Afridi’s associates, was reportedly pushed and manhandled by guards as they tried to forcibly remove him from the premises. The scuffle subsided only after senior officials intervened. Authorities said no serious injuries were reported.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of sharp political rivalry between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) in Punjab and Afridi’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), founded by former prime minister Imran Khan. Punjab is currently governed by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, daughter of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.
Speaking to the media after the episode, Afridi alleged systematic harassment of PTI leaders and workers in Punjab. “There is a fake government in Punjab that is focused only on intimidation and suppression,” he said, claiming party workers were stopped, detained and mistreated in several districts, including Chakri and Mandi Bahauddin.
This is not the first time Afridi has faced police action. On November 28, he was allegedly assaulted by police in Rawalpindi while attempting to meet Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, where he was reportedly dragged and beaten during a clash with security forces.
The latest incident has intensified speculation about the federal government’s stance toward the KP administration. Senior officials have recently hinted at the possibility of imposing President’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing deteriorating law and order and alleged administrative failures.
The confrontation inside the Punjab Assembly has further deepened Pakistan’s political divide, raising fresh questions about the treatment of elected leaders and the state of democratic norms in the country.
