Denounces the “stolen mandate” in the 2024 elections and warns against an intensification of street movements
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Khan Afridi addresses the crowd during a street movement tour in Swabi on Saturday. Photo: Express
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Khan Afridi on Saturday announced a nationwide shutdown on February 8 to protest the alleged theft of people’s mandate in the general elections and to demand the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
In fiery speeches delivered during a tour of street movements in Swabi district, including Shewa Adda, Topi and Anbar, Afridi called for a complete strike across Pakistan.
He urged citizens to keep all shops, markets, businesses, trucks, rickshaws, CNG pumps and other commercial activities closed for the day. “On February 8, stay at home. Nothing must move,” he said, describing the action as a peaceful demonstration under the sign of protecting the Constitution.
Afridi stressed that the day-long protest was focused on ensuring Imran’s freedom.
“We will secure his release and make him prime minister,” he said, adding that public support remained the party’s greatest strength. He accused the federal government of violating the Constitution and the law by stealing the mandate of the PTI in the February 8, 2024 elections.
The KP chief minister raised concerns over Imran’s health, saying an eye operation was carried out “in the darkness of the night” without informing his family or personal doctors.
Requests for meetings with Imran from his relatives and doctors were repeatedly refused, he said, despite protests from PTI leaders, including sit-ins outside Adiala jail and the Supreme Court.
Afridi rejected the attempts at intimidation, saying he was not afraid and rejecting accusations calling him a “smuggler”. He referred to the Tirah operation as an attempt to turn the Pakhtuns against him, but said the street movement had already disrupted the government’s nights.
Read: Federal government calls Khyber jirga an ‘indictment’ against KP govt, demands apology
“This time, we are fully ready to go on the ground and change the system and the destiny of the country,” he warned, calling on all Pakistanis to prepare.
He praised the passion and fervor visible in people’s eyes, saying it was beyond anything seen in his 18 years of political experience. “The nation is honorable and so is your chief minister,” Afridi said, vowing that those who tried to corner the PTI would find no place to hide once the public demanded justice.
The announcement aligns with broader opposition calls for protests on the second anniversary of the 2024 elections, which the PTI claims were rigged. Afridi stressed unity, challenging other political parties to mobilize crowds and join the cause of Imran’s release.
He said he spent days and nights protesting outside Adiala Prison and the Supreme Court without having access to Imran, strengthening his resolve: “No one can stop us this time; hands bound by fragile threads will be freed. »
