PESHAWAR: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Saturday rejected military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and forced disappearances in Balochistan by passing a resolution in a large public rally here.

The resolution, moved by PTI secretary general Salman Akram Raja, was approved by thousands of workers with a resounding “yes” expressed though a show of hands on the Ring Road near motorway.

Presenting the resolution from the stage, Mr Raja declared that the PTI rejected the “occupation of natural resources across the country.”

He said that his party would protect water resources in Sindh, Punjab, KP and Balochistan, as well as the nation’s mineral wealth.

Holds massive rally in Peshawar, demands immediate release of Imran, other leaders

The PTI leader said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had the foremost right over local minerals.

The resolution also condemned “restrictions on media, freedom of speech and the judiciary and rejected the theft of public mandate from the PTI” in the Feb 2024 general elections, declaring votes polled for the party were their voice.

The PTI also denounced authorities for excesses against its leaders and workers, accusing them of using force to “hide the theft of our electoral mandate.”

Mr Raja also complained about the “subjugating” of the judiciary following the 26th Constitutional Amendments.

The resolution also called for the immediate release of PTI founder Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and other party leaders and workers, insisting they all have been put behind bars unlawfully.

PTI workers showed up from across the province in large numbers. Poor traffic management led to the long queues of vehicles on the roads to the frustration of both motorists and pedestrians.

Holding portraits of Imran Khan, the charged workers shouted slogans for the release of their leader in the rally.

PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said it was the eighth rally since authorities had deprived the party of its electoral mandate last year.

He said that the party had hoped that the judiciary would provide it with justice after rigged elections, but the 26th constitutional amendments killed that hope.

Mr Khan said that authorities should seriously listen to the people’s demand for the immediate release of the PTI founder and other leaders and workers from the jail.

He said that the injustice meted out to Imran was actually an injustice against his followers, who made up 90 per cent of the country’s population

The PTI chairman said that the party would continue raising voice at all available forums for the dispensation of justice.

He called for an end to bids to suppress the voice of PTI workers and leaders.

“We’ll continue our struggle for an independent judiciary, supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law in the country,” he said.

Mr Khan quoted the PTI founder as telling him that he would neither make any compromise on his principals nor would he not enter into any deal for his release.

He said that Imran Khan had also declared that unlike the leaders of other parties, he would never leave Pakistan and would live in this country until his death.

PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar told participants that those who had stolen the PTI’s electoral mandate would face legal action after Imran Khan become the prime minister again with the people’s support.

“We will account for every drop of blood shed by our workers,” he said.

Mr Akbar said that the PTI leaders and workers were no longer afraid of judges as the latter had lost their trust.

The rally was also addressed by senior PTI leaders from Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2025