Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said PTI’s political leadership and its ally, the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), have agreed to hold a long march towards Islamabad on September 27.
Speaking on Geo News’ programme Capital Talk, Afridi said the party’s leadership across the country was “on board” with the plan and had collectively finalised September 27 as the date for the march.
Responding to reservations expressed by Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan over the date, the chief minister described her as a “non-political individual”, saying she would accept the decision once the PTI briefed her on the relevant facts and figures.
Afridi also rejected allegations that he had met Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi before finalising the date. He termed the claim “rubbish”, saying he was at KP House in Islamabad at the time of the alleged meeting and had not met the minister in Peshawar.
The chief minister also dismissed reports of a communication gap between PTI’s leadership and its workers. Referring to “D-Chowk, D-Chowk” chants at a recent Peshawar rally, he said those denying the PTI political space should recognise that the party leadership had assumed the responsibility of resolving issues through dialogue and mutual understanding.
Afridi warned that the party’s supporters, particularly the youth, would turn out in large numbers on September 27 if political space continued to be denied.
The KP chief minister also criticised the federal government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accusing it of economic mismanagement and poor governance.
Afridi said he would comply if PTI founder Imran Khan instructed him during a meeting at Adiala jail to postpone the September 27 march. He added that he would also follow Khan’s direction if asked to facilitate negotiations with the government.
At the start of the interview, Afridi said the PTI had been left with no option but to protest because its grievances were allegedly not being addressed by the authorities.
He rejected accusations that the party pursued politics of chaos and unrest, arguing that the PTI would not have resorted to protests if its concerns had been heard.
Afridi alleged that Imran Khan had been unlawfully imprisoned and was being kept in solitary confinement without access to his family, lawyers, personal doctors or other visitors.
He said the party had exhausted constitutional and legal avenues and therefore had no alternative but to stage protests.
“We are holding a peaceful protest. The Constitution allows us to do so, so the authorities will have to hear us,” he said.
Afridi reiterated that the PTI was seeking justice for its founder, fair hearings of his cases on merit, access to his personal physicians and adequate medical treatment.
