Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will proceed with its planned long march towards Islamabad on September 27, regardless of the circumstances, with further details to be announced on September 25.
Addressing a press conference alongside PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, Afridi said the party believed in the public mandate and democracy and had exhausted constitutional, legal and democratic avenues to address its concerns.
He alleged that court orders, including those issued by the Supreme Court, were not being implemented and said the party had no option but to resort to peaceful protest after its grievances went unheard. Sohail Afridi said the Constitution guaranteed citizens the right to peaceful protest and called on the authorities to allow the party to exercise that right.
He confirmed that the long march would take place on September 27 and said he would lead a peaceful mobilisation towards Islamabad. He also claimed that attempts to disrupt the movement through arrests of PTI leaders, lawmakers or Imran Khan’s sisters would not stop the march.
Responding to questions from journalists, the chief minister said the party would release full details of the planned march on September 25. He maintained that the participants would travel towards Islamabad peacefully and without weapons, stressing that the party sought to resolve the matter through political means.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar has said the party has remained peaceful and will continue to do so, but is being penalised despite maintaining a peaceful stance. Speaking to reporters, Gohar said the party had sought redress through the courts and Parliament but had yet to receive relief. He said PTI ministers, lawmakers and other leaders were being arrested despite the party pursuing constitutional and legal channels.
He stressed that the party had no intention of damaging Islamabad or taking the law into its own hands, adding that Pakistan remained its top priority. Gohar said PTI workers were being warned that any attempt to move forward would be met with a response similar to the one used against terrorists. Questioning the comparison, he said PTI members were political activists and supporters of Imran Khan, not terrorists.
He said communication channels remained open and that the party had not severed ties with the authorities. According to Gohar, PTI’s demands were limited to ensuring medical treatment and visitation rights for Imran Khan, as well as justice in legal matters, yet party members continued to face arrests.