Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Sohail Afridi accuses Army Chief of rigging 2024 polls

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Sohail Afridi accuses Army Chief of rigging 2024 polls

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has openly accused Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir of rigging the 2024 General Election and orchestrating the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to a Wion report.

Speaking to party supporters, Afridi described Pakistan’s military establishment as PTI’s main adversary and demanded the unconditional release of Khan. The remarks highlight escalating tensions between the PTI leadership and the country’s powerful military.

This comes as Imran Khan, 73, was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) for treatment of an eye ailment, officials said. Khan, who has been held at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, since 2023, was last month diagnosed with right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) last month, affecting his vision.

At PIMS, Khan received a second dose of an anti-VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) intravitreal injection and was subsequently returned to Adiala Jail. He had previously undergone treatment on January 24. Party leaders have demanded “transparency, not secrecy” regarding his health updates.

“Before the procedure, he was examined by a board of specialists: a consultant cardiologist who also performed echocardiography and ECG [result: normal] and a consultant physician.

“After obtaining informed consent, and under standard monitoring, precautionary measures and protocols in the operating theatre, he was injected with a second dose of intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF under the guidance of microscopy by consultant ophthalmologist, and a consultant vitreo-retinal surgeon of PIMS and Al-Shifa Eye Hospital,” the doctor said.

The procedure was carried out as a day-care surgery, and Khan’s vitals remained stable throughout, the doctor added. He was discharged after the procedure with instructions for care and follow-up.