At 37, Sohail Afridi is the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) top elected leader. He is now playing a significant national role as the party's primary mobilizer ahead of a march demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
On September 27, Afridi convened a cabinet meeting in Peshawar, where he expressed concerns about violence against PTI members, stating that "plainclothes thugs" have targeted his party's officials. He reported that two provincial ministers faced serious threats, including an assassination attempt and abduction. Afridi warned that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could be isolated from the rest of Pakistan due to federal government actions.
The PTI is preparing for a major march on Islamabad, its largest mobilization in nearly two years, to call for Khan's release. Khan has been imprisoned for over three years but remains popular among supporters. Afridi announced that the march, initially set for September 30, would be postponed to October 4, framing the delay as a strategic decision rather than a retreat.
Afridi, who has emerged as a leading figure in the PTI, emphasized that the march would proceed regardless of government opposition. He noted that the crowds would not be controlled and would remain until their demands were met.
The chief minister's dual role as a cabinet executive and a street agitator has drawn attention from political analysts. Afridi, who was born on July 12, 1989, in Bara Tehsil, has a background in student politics and has been involved with the PTI since its early days. He won a provincial assembly seat in February 2024 as an independent candidate after the PTI was barred from using its party symbol.
Despite his rise in politics, Afridi's governance has faced scrutiny, with some questioning his effectiveness in addressing security issues in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He has publicly criticized military operations in the region and has sought to balance empathy for victims of violence with calls for a change in the government's approach to security.
As the PTI's campaign for Khan's release intensifies, Afridi's leadership will be crucial in navigating the challenges posed by the current political landscape in Pakistan.