The complaint letter written by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif purposefully misrepresents the practical reality on the ground. CM Afridi argues that he travelled in his official capacity and was therefore entitled to the dignity and protocol accorded to a constitutional office-holder.

It seems that day, however, this visit was not undertaken in that capacity. Afridi did not come to Lahore on inter-provincial work or for any formal engagement. He arrived as a political functionary of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, seeking to rouse street agitation, stage protests, and convene public gatherings without the prior submissions and permissions that are standard democratic procedure.

© The Nation (Editorials)