- Workers remained at the protest site all night: CM Afridi.
- He says the PTI will not back down from its demands or the ongoing protests.
- All ‘constitutional and legal’ options taken to meet Imran: Afridi
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi ended the 16-hour sit-in held on Adiala Road, saying authorities are yet to provide any information regarding the well-being of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
Speaking to reporters at the Gorkhpur check post, CM Afridi said that the workers spent the entire night at the protest site.
“We spent the night here with the workers; this was just one night,” he said, adding, “If we have to spend our entire life here for the PTI founder, we will.”
“They have not yet told us anything about the condition of the PTI founder,” he said. The prime minister said they would not back down from their demands.
“We will not back down from our protests and sit-ins,” he said.
CM Afridi said he has used “all constitutional and legal options” in an attempt to meet the PTI founder, but to no avail.
“I have used all constitutional and legal avenues. What path is left for me to meet my leader?” asked. The prime minister said that despite a court order, neither he nor other party leaders were allowed to meet Imran.
Criticizing the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), he said: “Previously, those fleeing to London were allowed to meet groups of 50 people (in jail) at a time.”
After the end of the sit-in, the prime minister left for Islamabad, where he will first reach the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in the capital and is expected to file a petition in the high court seeking permission to meet the PTI founder.
After filing the petition, you will return to Adiala Road.
The prime minister said he would meet the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court to take up the matter with him.
CM Afridi said that if the courts do not ensure implementation of their own directives, it would amount to “jungle rule” in the country.
It may be noted here that the party held a 16-hour sit-in at the Gorakhpur check post on Adiala Jail Road in Rawalpindi after its leaders were denied a meeting with Imran on Thursday.
Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Mishal Yousufzai, Senator Gurdeep Singh, Senator Rubina Naz and MNA Zulfiqar Ahmed and others attended the sit-in.
Speaking to reporters a day earlier, Achakzai said the prime minister arrived in Rawalpindi with the belief that as a representative of a federative unit, he would be allowed to meet his party leader, particularly after obtaining a court directive.
“The prime minister was under the impression that he was a constitutional representative of the federation. He thought that since the court had put it in writing, he would be allowed to meet its leader,” Achakzai said.
“But now he has realized that those in charge here do not respect democratic norms or the language of honor.”
Achakzai said Afridi’s protest reflected the voice of democratic Pashtuns who believed in constitutional rights.
