Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday called on supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to “be prepared” for a potential protest movement, as he claimed the party is readying for another bid to achieve “Haqiqi Azadi.”
Addressing a public gathering in Kohat, he recalled incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan had backed protests, adding any future movement would come at a steep price. “If we go [to Islamabad] this time around, we will either return in shrouds or after getting freedom,” he said, echoing similar commentary from former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur prior to the November 2024 protest.
According to Afridi, Khan has entrusted key decisions on potential talks or protests to Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. “For my part, I have assured them of any kind of support,” he added.
Alleging that “all institutions and the government want to eliminate the PTI,” the chief minister claimed the party’s attempts to secure “justice” through courts had also failed. “Those supposed to protect us turn into our killers, and those raised to protect our mandate, stole it,” he said, without specifying who he was referring to. “Tell me then, what solution do we have?”
Afridi also lashed out Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, saying he did not need any “advice” from her and would only “listen” to Imran Khan. Other PTI leaders, including the party’s KP president Junaid Akbar, issued similar calls to “ready” for a protest during the gathering. However, none of them were willing to commit to any specific date.