Lahore:
Kyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Ali Amin Gandapur, chief minister, challenged political forces threatening to renounce his government, claiming that the PTI has trained its government in KP on the basis of its own strength, not by anyone’s support.
Gandapur made these remarks while addressing party leaders and speaking to the media during a rally on a farm in Raiwind Road in Lahore on Saturday. The KP CM arrived in Lahore on Saturday evening, leading a convoy of PTI legislators with the president of the PTI, Gohar Ali Khan.
Launching a strong criticism of the head of Jeu-F Fazlur Rehman, Gandapur said that the leader of the religious party was in error and lacked public support. The head of the PTI said that the public had “rejected” the Chief Jui-F.
“It would be preferable for Maulana to bring a change in itself rather than trying to impose a change on the KP. Fazlur Rehman was elected by a false mandate and does not have the power to speak on behalf of the people of the province,” he added.
Gandapur said that Fazl holds only one national assembly and two seats of the provincial assembly to merit, while the others were obtained by an alleged manipulation via form 47. “He induced the people induced the people, and that is why he could not win in his own constituency,” he said.
He also announced the launch of a new political movement which, he said, would begin in Lahore.
“Whenever a movement starts from Lahore, he resonates through Pakistan,” he said, stressing that the campaign would be shaped by the realities of the soil and carried out in consultation with the party leaders. He swore to intensify the movement from August 5, urging supporters to prepare for a decisive action.
Addressing the current political tensions, Gandapur has also criticized the recent suspension of the members of the Punjab Assembly and qualified the illegal move.
He warned that if such actions were continuing, he would respond by removing the presidents of the committee appointed by the Punjab government in the KP. Gandapur reiterated the position of his party according to which the former Prime Minister Imran Khan, currently imprisoned, is innocent and faces accusations with political motivation.
“There is no case against our leader,” he said, adding that the movement’s management should be shaped by the country’s political circumstances rather than by comparisons between Punjab and KP.
Earlier, a convoy of PTI legislators arrived at Lahore d’Islamabad, indicating what party officials described as the beginning of a renewed political movement. The visit occurred in the middle of an increased police presence, arrests of party workers and degeneration of tensions with the Punjab government.
The convoy arrived at the Raiwind Road farm, of the former vice-president of the Senate, Mirza Muhammad Afridi, located near the succession of the Sharif family in Lahore. A dinner and strategic meetings of PTI parliamentary committees were planned on the site.
According to party initiates, discussions are focused on planning protests and legislative responses to the recent suspension of PTI legislators in the Punjab Assembly.
Given the dominant political climate in Punjab and KP, meetings are considered to be politically significant. Discussions should also address the future political strategy and the potential for alliances between regional power blocks.
Earlier, the arrival of the convoy to Shahdara Mor met with a heavy deployment of the Punjab police.
According to PTI sources, the police arrested four party workers, including the TICket engineer based in Lahore, Yasir Gilani. Although Gilani was released later, the arrests fueled new accusations of political harassment by the management of the PTI. Access to the media on the site has been restricted and a press interaction provided would have been canceled due to security problems.
Earlier in Jhelum, Gandapur said that leadership made a roadmap to support the movement until least on August 5. “We want a consensus by the consultation. Our leaders and the workers are in prison, but our commitment remains unshakable,” he said.
Meanwhile, the president of the PTI, lawyer Gohar Ali Khan, said that any announcement concerning the protest campaign would come directly from the founder of the Imran Khan party. He said that Lahore’s visit was intended to meet party legislators and finalize the future orientation of the movement within the law.
The head of the opposition of the Punjab assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, welcomed the convoy in a video message, calling it a “symbolic awakening” of Punjab. “The inhabitants of Lahore are on the street to welcome their leaders,” he said.
The political mobilization takes place in the context of the suspension of June 27 of 26 PTI legislators, following their protest during the address of CM Maryam Nawaz in the Punjab Assembly.
Since then, thousands of PTI workers have been arrested or charged while the party has increased its opposition to the policies of the provincial government.
“PTI has now officially launched its protest movement,” said Bhachar. “The raids are underway through Punjab, and we are not afraid of these arrests. Our central and parliamentary management parties of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab meet in Lahore to finalize our action plan.”
Earlier, PTI legislators, including the two parliamentarians of Punjab as well as members of the provincial assembly, converged in Islamabad to attend a meeting convened by CM Gandapur at the KP house.
Gandapur stressed that the KP management intended to work with the opposition for political stability in the country. He reiterated the PTI’s commitment to continue to raise his voice within the constitutional limits and on all the forums available.
