Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has defended its decision not to launch an immediate protest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying the move was aimed at protecting party workers from arrests, violence and possible provocation.
In a statement, PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa General Secretary Ali Asghar Khan said safeguarding party workers was a responsibility, adding that delaying an immediate demonstration did not mean the party was abandoning its political struggle.
He maintained that peaceful protest was a democratic right, but stressed that its timing and format should be determined through a coordinated strategy at the national level.
Khan said questions about the party’s future political strategy had emerged following the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Consultations involving provincial, regional and district party organisations, the Insaf Lawyers Forum, lawmakers and party workers had produced several proposals regarding the next course of action.
He said he considered it important to explain the party’s decisions and the reasoning behind them to address concerns among workers.
According to Khan, participants in the consultations agreed that protests should be organised at an appropriate time and under a clear strategy rather than launched immediately. He said the priority was to prevent further arrests, protect workers from violence and avoid incidents that could be misrepresented or used against the party.
Referring to a recent protest in Bara, Khyber tribal district, where several PTI workers were reportedly injured by police firing, Khan said party workers and lawmakers seeking immediate demonstrations had been advised to wait for formal instructions.
He added that uncoordinated and individual protests should be avoided until the party announced an official programme.
Khan emphasised that PTI needed a peaceful, organised and nationwide political campaign to pursue its objectives. These include the release of former prime minister Imran Khan and other political prisoners, the withdrawal of governor’s rule and the emergency, restoration of the elected provincial government, and protection of constitutional rights and the public mandate.
He also listed the protection of ownership rights and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s rightful share in its natural resources and minerals among the party’s key demands.
The PTI provincial general secretary said the party’s central leadership was holding discussions with other political groups to pursue shared constitutional and democratic goals. He added that the provincial organisation supported convening an all-parties conference at the earliest opportunity to develop a joint position and agree on a coordinated political and constitutional strategy.
Khan said the party should simultaneously pursue legal and parliamentary options, maintain contact with political parties, lawyers, professional bodies and civil society organisations, and highlight alleged constitutional and human rights violations through the media and relevant international forums.
He said the provincial organisation wanted the central leadership to issue clear directions on the party’s nationwide strategy by the end of the first week of November 2026, including priorities for political, legal, parliamentary and public activities.
Meanwhile, PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Deputy Information Secretary Ikram Khattana said party workers attending protest rallies were unarmed, while those attempting to stop the demonstrations carried firearms.
Khattana said the party did not want its workers to suffer injuries or lose their lives during confrontations.
