The protest movement will continue until those in power come to the table after recognizing the opposition as an equal partner, says Afridi
LAHORE:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership said the party will only move towards dialogue with the government after securing a “level playing field” through sustained street protests, rejecting the idea of entering talks from a position of weakness.
The stance was outlined by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja during a series of meetings in Lahore where party leaders gathered to launch a fresh street movement following the directives of jailed party founder Imran Khan.
Speaking to reporters at Lahore’s Defense Housing Authority, Afridi said reconciliation without resistance is not an option. “We will be at a loss if we engage in dialogue without resistance,” he said. “The protest movement will continue until those in power come to the table after recognizing the opposition as an equal partner.”
Amid criticism that repeated protests had failed to yield tangible results, the chief minister said the party will avoid making tall demands and focus on “practical work” aimed at delivering results.
Raja echoed the stance, saying no political party could afford to move into a “blind alley.” He accused the government of trying to silence the PTI on issues it considers fundamental, including alleged election irregularities, the continued imprisonment of Imran Khan and what the party calls institutional interference in politics and journalism.
“If we’re told not to talk about these issues, what room is there left for politics?” Raja asked. He said dialogue could only begin once basic principles had been agreed, and warned that the party would otherwise continue to mobilize supporters on the streets.
After the meeting, Afridi attempted to visit the families of jailed PTI leaders, including former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema and lawyer Hassan Niazi. He told reporters that he was prevented from entering the Lahore cantonment area, which he said had been declared a no-go zone.
“I was told I was not allowed to enter,” Afridi said, questioning the restriction and demanding that the reason be given in writing. He said he even offered to proceed without his security detail, but was still denied entry.
Describing the treatment as inappropriate, Raja said the Punjab government should not have acted so harshly against the sitting provincial chief.
Later in the day, Afridi met Hassan Niazi’s mother, Noreen Khan, and other family members at the residence of Punjab assembly member Zamirul Hassan Bhatti. During the meeting, Afridi expressed solidarity with the families of jailed PTI leaders and asked for an early release of political prisoners. Participants emphasized the importance of legal justice, restraint and dialogue, while also calling for respect for the human rights of prisoners.
The development came days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered talks with the opposition, while maintaining that any dialogue would be limited to what he described as “legitimate matters.”
For now, PTI leaders say the path to talks is through public mobilization, not quiet engagement, signaling that political tensions are likely to continue in the short term.
