KP CM says this time at AJK rally entire Pakistan will speak out against govt policy
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday hinted at an impending large-scale protest call while addressing a PTI public rally at Lal Chowk in Muzaffarabad to mark the party’s 30th founding day.
Speaking at the well-attended rally, Afridi announced that “a very big call for protest is coming soon” and that people from across the country would join in large numbers.
This time, the whole of Pakistan will come out, he told the crowd, presenting the rally as preparation for the next phase of the PTI’s street movement as directed by party founder Imran Khan.
He urged his supporters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir to remain ready. He said: This time there is no room for error. Are you ready? Be prepared!
He criticized the government saying, “You can bomb. You can destroy Imran Khan’s eyes. You can keep him in solitary confinement, but expect us to offer sacrifices for Pakistan. Is this something that only PTI has taken upon itself. It has questioned? We will come out. We will protest.” He reiterated.
“The Constitution of Pakistan gives us this right. I am risking my entire political future to tell them to respect the Constitution and the vote, but we have tried all legal avenues.
“The superintendent of Adiala jail throws the court decisions in the dustbin, and even the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court does not respond to my greetings during Ramazan. These people do not reform.”
Afridi, who was tasked with mobilizing the street campaign in the region, praised the people of Azad Kashmir for their constant support to Imran Khan. He criticized the “imposed” government in AJK, accusing it of stealing public mandate and using undemocratic tactics.
He warned against any attempt to rig the upcoming elections in AJK and promised that PTI workers would not remain silent over alleged injustices, including the imprisonment of Imran and Bushra Bibi.
The event, organized by PTI Azad Kashmir, featured fiery slogans and chants of ‘D-Chowk’ from the audience. Other leaders, including Salman Akram Raja and local PTI figures like Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, also addressed the gathering.
The latest wave of mobilization has intensified amid ongoing concerns over Imran Khan’s health. PTI leaders, including Afridi, have repeatedly alleged that the former prime minister did not receive adequate medical care or access to his family at Adiala jail, despite court directives and humanitarian appeals.
They warned that failure to address these issues could lead to stronger protests nationwide.
The Muzaffarabad rally follows a clear mobilization roadmap laid out by Afridi. He had initially planned a major rally in Rawalpindi on April 9, but it was canceled on the instructions of Imran Khan due to the current global and regional situation involving foreign delegations in Islamabad.
Afridi then organized a large public rally in Mardan on April 19, where he unveiled the next phase of the street movement. At the event, he said that the current mobilization drive would begin in AJK on April 25, coinciding with the founding day of PTI, followed by Lahore on May 1.
After addressing the Lal Chowk rally, Afridi is expected to visit various places in Kashmir during his three-day visit to meet local PTI leaders and workers as part of the ongoing awareness campaign. During his visit to AJK, he is also expected to visit Neelum Valley.
Punjab PTI in the dark
Uncertainty continues to surround Sohail Afridi’s proposed visit to Lahore, with the PTI’s Punjab chapter saying it has yet to receive any official communication regarding the plan, which was initially announced for May 1 and was later reportedly tentatively postponed to May 2.
The lack of clarity has left provincial leaders in the dark about preparations, with some party members beginning to see the move as more smoke than fire – a performative gesture seemingly devoid of any concrete action plan. Concerns have also been raised over the likelihood of arrests under the PML-N-led government if the visit continues.
“We don’t know whether KP CM would come to Lahore or not,” said a PTI leader in Punjab.
He revealed that for Punjab leaders, this remains a tentative agenda, adding that Afridi’s presence would obviously trigger mass arrests by the PML-N-led government, so there is little appetite in Punjab for such a visit, especially without any tangible gains.
“Everyone was ready for more FIRs and even arrests, but not without clarity on what benefit this would bring to the party or Imran Khan.” He added that according to him, the chief minister’s remarks at the Mardan rally might have been made without being given full consideration.
He said that in his reading, the chief minister had made a casual remark while addressing the Mardan gathering, without paying much attention to it at the time. He added that the permission requested for May 2 was only a formality, as it was widely believed that the government would not grant approval.
The same leader noted that holding a political event on May 2 could trigger arrests across Punjab, while conflicting with a private engagement. He said such activity on this date could land many party members in prison.
With the opposition leader’s son’s wedding also scheduled around this time, the chief minister’s visit would also create unnecessary complications for himself. He added that TTAP, or another pretext, could easily be used to postpone the program.
PTI MP Ejaz Shafi said provincial leaders had not been officially informed about the visit.
He noted that in the absence of official communication, the program remained provisional. He added that all prior arrangements would be made once the official information was received. He maintained that no one in the party feared arrests or FIRs.
PTI central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the party was yet to take a formal position. “The party has not held its leadership meeting for three days, which is why the party has not reached an official position in this regard. Hopefully on Saturday they will hold a meeting to discuss it.”
The KP chief minister had announced his plans to visit Lahore during a rally on April 19 in Mardan. The announcement, however, further strained relations with TTAP, whose leaders protested the lack of consultation and opposed an overlap with their planned event in Lahore on May 1.
According to several PTI leaders, the party later assured TTAP that the chief minister intended to attend the alliance event before holding his own engagements in the city.
The TTAP has already asked the PTI to ask the KP chief minister to postpone his visit, citing the increased risk of mass arrests by the government in a bid to restrict its political activity in Punjab. According to TTAP leaders, they were reassured by the PTI general secretary on this matter.
