- Workers remained at the protest site all night: CM Afridi.
- Declares that the PTI will not back down from its demands nor from the ongoing protests.
- All ‘constitutional and legal’ options adopted to meet Imran: Afridi
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has called off the 16-hour sit-in staged on Adiala Road, saying authorities have still not provided any information regarding the welfare of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
Speaking to reporters at the Gorkhpur check post, CM Afridi said the workers spent the entire night at the protest site.
“We spent the night here with the workers, it was just one night,” he said, adding, “If we have to spend our whole lives here for the PTI founder, we will do it.”
“We have not yet been told anything about the condition of the PTI founder,” he said. The Prime Minister said they would not back down on their demands.
“We will not back down from our protests and sit-ins,” he said.
CM Afridi said he used “all constitutional and legal options” to try to meet the PTI founder, but to no avail.
“I have used all constitutional and legal avenues. What path remains for me to meet my leader?” he asked. The chief 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: “Earlier, those who wanted to flee to London were allowed to meet groups of 50 people (in prison) at a time. »
After the sit-in ended, the chief minister left for Islamabad, where he will first arrive at 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 submitting the petition, he will return to Adiala Road.
The chief minister said he would meet the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court to discuss the matter with him.
CM Afridi said if courts do not ensure implementation of their own guidelines, it would amount to ‘rule of the jungle’ in the country.
It may be noted here that the party staged a 16-hour sit-in at the Gorakhpur checkpoint 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 MP Zulfiqar Ahmed and others attended the sit-in.
Speaking to reporters a day earlier, Achakzai said the chief minister had arrived in Rawalpindi with the belief that as a representative of a unifying unit, he would be allowed to meet his party chief – especially after obtaining a directive from the court.
“The chief 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 entitled to a meeting with its chief,” Achakzai said.
“But he now realizes 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.
