Chief Minister said street movement would continue peacefully for release of Imran Khan and upholding Constitution
KARACHI:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will hold a public rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah in Karachi even though the party is yet to receive written permission from the authorities.
Speaking to the media before leaving Karachi for Hyderabad, Afridi said the PTI received a “warm and enthusiastic welcome” in the city. “I thank the people of Karachi for the welcome,” he said, adding: “We are politicians; our real protocol comes from the public.”
Afridi is on a three-day visit to Karachi as part of PTI’s preparations for a nationwide street movement launched under the leadership of party founder Imran Khan. During his stay, he is expected to meet party leaders, lawyers, traders and media representatives, and hold political consultations. The visit is expected to conclude on Sunday with a public rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah to mobilize support for what the party describes as a peaceful campaign for the release of the PTI founder and the restoration of constitutional order.
He alleged that the PTI was facing unfair treatment from the Punjab government, which he described as a “fake government”, and said Imran Khan was not allowed to meet his family. “This is a political struggle and restrictions on political engagement are unacceptable,” he said.
Afridi said the PTI had formed the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government for the third consecutive term and was currently holding political meetings in Karachi. “The entire Pakistan belongs to the Pakistanis,” he said, pointing out that people frequently travel between Sindh and KP for work.
Read: Sohail Afridi visits Sindh for meetings, rally in Mazar-e-Quaid
He also highlighted the difficulties faced by KP residents in accessing health facilities during their stay in Sindh and stressed the need for equal political rights for all parties. “If leaders of all political parties are allowed to engage in politics, then the same permission should apply to everyone,” he said.
The chief minister said Imran Khan had instructed him to lead the street movement. “We continue a peaceful struggle for his release,” he added.
A day earlier, speaking at a Meet the Press program at the Karachi Press Club, Afridi reiterated his opposition to any further military operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, saying peace could not be achieved through force alone.
“We oppose not only the TTP but all terrorist organizations,” he said, adding that more than 14,000 operations had already been carried out in the province, displacing millions of people. “Operations without consultation led to losses, but not to lasting peace,” he said.
Learn more: Afridi ready for street stage in Karachi
Afridi said the PTI had always opposed the resettlement of militants, a position he said was on record. “From Bajaur to Shangla, people protested when it became known that militants were being resettled,” he said, asserting that the province had made more than 80,000 sacrifices in the war against terrorism. He added that a peace jirga composed of political and religious parties and representatives of civil society had unanimously rejected any further military action.
Calling for a common strategy to combat terrorism, Afridi said efforts must involve federal and provincial governments, political parties and security institutions. “If the Prime Minister invites me for negotiations to end terrorism, I will participate,” he said, stressing that dialogue and political consensus were essential to restore peace in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
