PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Saturday said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf would continue their protest at D-Chowk in Islamabad until the federal government met its demands, including the unconditional release of incarcerated party chief Imran Khan and other political prisoners, and the return of the people’s stolen mandate to it.

In a video message, the chief minister warned that if any harm was caused to the participants of the PTI’s protest in Islamabad today (Sunday), the federal government would be responsible.

He said the people from across the country should reach D-Chowk to participate in Sunday’s demonstration, while oversees Pakistanis should stage protests in their respective countries.

“Our major demands include the unconditional release of PTI founder Imran Khan, other leaders, and party activists, and the return of voters’ mandate stolen from us [PTI], and the supremacy of the Constitution,” he said.

CM says PTI will ‘go to every extent’ to protect Constitution

Mr Gandapur said Imran was fighting for the rights of people and not himself, so people should join the D-Chowk protest at his call.

He said the PTI chief was imprisoned for no offence.

“People should come out to protest the federal government’s fascism and cruelties against our leadership and workers,” he said.

The chief minister said the PTI would go to every extent to protect the Constitution and ensure the country’s “true independence.”

“We will remove all hurdles to make it to D-Chowk,” he said.

Mr Gandapur urged the law-enforcement and paramilitary forces, deployed in Islamabad and Punjab, not to follow the “illegal” orders of their high-ups regarding PTI activists and perform their duties in line with their oaths.

Provincial higher education minister Meena Khan Afridi told Dawn that PTI workers and supporters from across the province would join the Islamabad protest in large numbers.

“We all will assemble at the MPA and MNA constituency levels on Sunday morning before leaving for the toll plaza of the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway for march on Islamabad,” he said.

Mr Afridi said the PTI processions from Peshawar and Malakand regions would converge on the motorway in Swabi before leaving for Islamabad, while the PTI rally from southern areas would use the Haqla-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway to go to the federal capital.

He added that the vehicular convoys from Hazara region would enter Punjab by the Hazara Expressway.

Meanwhile, adviser to the chief minister on information and public relations Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif condemned the blocking of the roads to Islamabad and said the “fake” federal government had sealed Islamabad, confirming the success of the PTI’s protest.

In a statement issued here, Mr Saif said roadblocks had cut off Islamabad from other cities of the country.

He said that instead of making the people’s lives miserable, the federal government should return their electoral mandate to the PTI.

“Closure of motorways and highways in Punjab is a manifestation of the success of our protest,” he said.

Also in the day, the PTI held a workers convention in Kohat in connection with its protest planned for Sunday in Islamabad.

At the hujra of law minister Aftab Alam Afridi, the party leaders said the march on Islamabad would prove the last nail in the coffin of PM Shehbaz Sharif’s government having a fake public mandate.

They said a large rally led by the local lawmakers would leave from Kohat for Islamabad.

Noted among speakers were minister Aftab Afridi and former federal minister Shehryar Afridi.

In Swabi, advisers to the chief minister Rangaiz Khan and Abdul Karim told reporters that the PTI leadership and activists from the province were committed to reaching Islamabad by removing obstacles put up by the federal and Punjab government.

Other PTI leaders, including former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, irrigation minister Aqibullah Khan, former elementary and secondary education Faisal Khan Tarakai, MNA Shahram Khan Tarakai, said the party had finalised arrangements for participation in D-Chowk protest, with both leadership and workers committed to reach Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2024