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 note, urging Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters to remain alert for a possible protest call and revealing that the party was preparing to go ahead with another push for “Haqiqi Azadi” by the country’s current rulers.
Speaking at a PTI rally in Kohat, the prime minister called the moment 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 return wrapped in a shroud or after gaining freedom,” he told those gathered.
Afridi said Imran Khan had entrusted key decisions, including holding talks with the government or starting protests, to Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) president Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
The two leaders are part of the opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), 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,” Afridi said, “I met with them and assured them of any kind of support.”
“So whenever you get a call from them, you must be ready. And together we will snatch Haqiqi Azadi (from the country’s current rulers).”
The prime minister alleged that “all institutions and the government want to eliminate the PTI”, stating that even the judiciary had not addressed the party’s grievances.
Without naming specific actors, he said: “Those who were supposed to protect us become our murderers, and those raised to protect our mandate stole it. Tell me then, what solution do we have?”
As for his political rivals, Afridi said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had recently offered him advice but he should focus on his own province.
“Will I listen to them now?” he asked, adding that “our leader is Imran, and we will only listen to him. Only Imran’s politics and government will exist here.”
He further claimed that according to a recent survey, Punjab Police had become the most corrupt department in the country.
Afridi urged citizens to report corruption and assured them that his government in KP would act on the allegations. It also directed divisional and district administrations to keep their offices accessible and responsive to public concerns.
Provincial Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said Imran Khan’s family and the chief minister himself had been barred from meeting the jailed PTI founder.
He condemned Imran being labeled a “security threat”.
“Yes, Khan was a threat, but only to those who had owned business empires in this country.”
Referring to the Kohat meeting, he called it a series of “warm-up matches.”
“And this time, when we leave, we will not return empty-handed,” he said, hinting at the prospect of street unrest.
Speaking at the rally, PTI provincial president and MNA Junaid Akbar said party workers “could never be threatened with police cases or press conferences”.
He said the PTI and its supporters were ready to protect the KP government.
“If anyone tries to impose the governor’s rule in KP, they must come and lay siege to the governor’s house. We have protected our vote and we will also protect our government,” he said.
Akbar also said that the party did not expect “bullets, purchased with development funds”, to be fired at its protesters on November 26, 2024.
“But I assure you that this time we will face bullets,” he added.
He said any decision on talks or protests would ultimately be made 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 the public reaction. Meanwhile, MNA Shehryar Afridi said the PTI would take Imran Khan’s case “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 source of pride for us.”
