KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and other party leaders raise their hands as they arrive at a PTI rally in Kohat. Photo: Express
KOHAT:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday struck a combative tone, urging Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters to stay on their toes for a possible protest call, revealing that the party was preparing to press ahead with another push for “Haqiqi Azadi” from the country’s current regime.
Addressing a PTI rally in Kohat, the chief minister termed the moment as a point of no return, recalling a message from jailed party founder Imran Khan and warning that any future move would come at a high price.
“So if we go this time, we will either return in shrouds or after getting freedom,” he told the gathering.
Afridi said Imran Khan had entrusted important decisions, including whether to hold talks with the government or launch protests, to Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
The two leaders are part of the opposition Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) alliance, along with the PTI, and have also been nominated by the alliance as opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate.
“For my part,” said Afridi, “I met them and assured them of every kind of support”.
“So when a call comes from them, be ready. And together we will seize Haqiqi Azadi from them (the country’s current rulers).”
Claiming that “all institutions and the government want to remove PTI”, the chief minister alleged that even the judiciary had failed to address the party’s grievances.
Without naming specific actors, he said: “Those who were supposed to protect us become murderers and those who were raised to protect our mandate stole it. So tell me, what solution do we have?”
On political rivals, Afridi said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had recently offered him advice but should instead focus on his own province.
“I want to listen to them now?” he asked, adding that “our leader is Imran and we will only listen to him. There will be only Imran’s politics and rule here”.
He further claimed that according to a recent survey, the Punjab police had emerged as the most corrupt department in the country.
Afridi urged citizens to report corruption and assured them that his government in KP would respond to complaints. He also directed divisional and district administrations to keep their offices accessible and responsive to public concerns.
Provincial Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Aftab Alam Afridi said Imran Khan’s family and the chief minister himself had been barred from meeting the jailed PTI founder.
He condemned the labeling of Imran as a “security threat”.
“Yes, Khan was a threat, but only to those who had owned business empires in this country.”
Referring to the Kohat collection, he called it a series of “warm-up matches”.
“And this time, when we go, we will not come back empty-handed,” he said, hinting at the prospect of street agitation.
Addressing the rally, PTI provincial president and MNA Junaid Akbar said party workers “could never be threatened with police cases or press conferences”.
He said PTI and its supporters were ready to protect the KP government.
“If anyone is trying to impose governor’s rule in KP, reach and besiege the governor’s house. We protected our vote and we will also protect our government,” he said.
Akbar also said the party had not expected “bullets, bought from funds meant for development” to be fired at its protesters on November 26, 2024.
“But I assure you, this time we will face bullets,” he added.
He said any decision on talks or protests would ultimately be taken by Achakzai.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Shafi Jan warned that if CM Afridi was removed, the authorities would not be able to contain public reaction. Meanwhile, MNA Shehryar Afridi said PTI would take Imran Khan’s cause “to every corner of the country”.
“No power on earth could challenge Pakistan if the country was united,” he said, adding, “Imran Khan is a matter of pride for us”.
