PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Friday said that the “opportunistic” politicians were attempting to create conflict between the people and armed forces, but the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf would foil their evil designs.

“These politicians are conspirators, so both PTI leadership and workers won’t allow their intrigues to succeed,” Mr Gandapur said in a video statement.

The chief minister said that those conspirators were trying to protect their ill-gotten wealth and continue ruling the country.

Addressing the armed forces, Mr Gandapur said that they’re meant to protect the people and were recruited from among them.

Gandapur says ‘sacrifices’ of PTI marchers will not go to waste

“This is our army, and Pakistan is where it, like people, belongs,” he said.

Without naming anyone, the chief minister alleged that attempts to sow hatred in people against the armed forces had been exposed.

He rejected the federal government’s claims that no bullet was fired at the PTI’s protest at D Chowk in Islamabad on Nov 26.

“The death of our [PTI’s] 12 workers has been confirmed, while 100 others, who were injured in the firing, have also been identified, with the identity of many others still being ascertained,” he said.

“I am giving you [federal government] a clear message that we will not let you off scot-free. You will have to tell us why your law-enforcement agencies opened fire at our peaceful workers,” he said, demanding accountability for the incident.

Mr Gandapur complained that similar incidents took place in the past as well, with unarmed people being fired at.

He asked the federal government to reveal who ordered firing at unarmed PTI marchers in Islamabad and what authority they had got to issue such orders.

“Under the Constitution and law, everyone is answerable for their actions, so we will keep asking questions about the D Chowk gunfire and you [federal government] will have to respond,” he said.

The chief minister said that many PTI workers, who were part of the Islamabad march, had been missing and he feared many of them might have been killed.

“We have serious concerns about the safety of our missing workers,” he said, urging the federal government to allay those concerns.

The chief minister insisted that media organisations were not highlighting that issue as they’re pressured by authorities not to do so.

Mr Gandapur, who is also the PTI’s president in the province, announced that on Dec 15 at Bagh-i-Naran in Peshawar, the PTI would pay tribute to those, who laid down their lives for the people’s real freedom and strengthen democracy in the country.

“The sacrifices of our workers will not go to waste. Our movement for real freedom will continue,” he said.

The chief minister said that the PTI leaders and workers would remain steadfast in the country, while their opponents would flee.

He said that the people had never accepted slavery and won’t do so in the future.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2024