Afridi says peaceful movement is inevitable; force to register, swearing in after Eid
KP CM Afridi speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court. PHOTO:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday announced the formation of the ‘Imran Khan Liberation Force’ to campaign for the release of Imran Khan, saying a public movement had become “inevitable after persistent violations of court directives”.
“The Imran Khan Free Force will wage a completely peaceful struggle. After his release, Imran Khan himself will disband the force,” Afridi said while addressing reporters outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
He said the membership cards would be ready within four to five days and the youth of Peshawar would take oath after Eidul Fitr. Responsibility for handling the protests and negotiations was given to Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Nasir Abbas and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai, adding that Khan had delegated the task of preparing a street movement to them.
Afridi said this force would include members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the Insaf Students’ Federation and the women’s wing of the party. He said it would be officially registered, operate under a clear chain of command and would only begin operations once preparations were complete.
According to Afridi, the initiative aims to ensure constitutional supremacy, strengthen democracy and safeguard the independence of the media.
Read: TTAP ends protests at Parliament, raises concerns over Imran Khan’s health
Khan, 73, has been jailed since August 2023 after being convicted in several cases he said were politically motivated following his impeachment in a 2022 parliamentary vote. His party has stepped up calls for his release after a medical report submitted to the court said his vision in his right eye had dropped to 15%, while the government maintains he is receiving the best care.
Separately, Abbas announced the end of a sit-in organized by the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan alliance outside Parliament as Ramazan begins, saying the group would decide its next course of action.
He said the protest was organized to prevent what he called government negligence and unconstitutional actions, alleging that lawmakers were effectively confined to the premises and residences of Parliament and cases, including terrorism charges, were filed against them while peaceful protests were hampered.
Learn more: SC indefinitely adjourns Imran Khan’s Toshakhana, encryption and defamation cases
Regarding Khan’s health, Abbas said a medical report confirmed some improvement in his eyesight, but concerns remained and monitoring was necessary. He said the condition was previously critical and accused prison authorities of negligence, adding that legal action was underway.
He also called for specialized care to be provided at Shifa International Hospital and for family members and doctors, including Faisal Sultan, to have access to it. “Even a slight improvement makes us happy and we pray for his full recovery,” he said.
