• At Kohat rally, KP CM urges supporters to ‘be ready’ for protest call
• Says Achakzai, Raja Nasir empowered to decide course of action
• Insists party will ‘seize real freedom’ at all costs
• PTI warns against attempts to impose governor’s rule in province

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakh­tu­nkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has announced that inca­r­cerated PTI founder Imran Khan has authorised the leadership of the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), an alliance of several opposition parties including PTI, to take decision whether to hold talks with the government or launch protests for Haqiqi Azadi (real freedom).

Addressing a PTI rally in Kohat on Sunday, CM Afridi said that as Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas have been authorised by the former prime minister to decide the line of action, all PTI supporters must “be ready” if the opposition alliance issues a call for protest.

The chief minister said the PTI along with other opposition parties would together “seize Haqiqi Azadi” from the rulers. He said the incarcerated party founder had conveyed from jail a message of ‘freedom or death’.

“So, if we go this time around, we will either return in shrouds or after getting freedom,” he added.

Both TTAP leaders Achakzai and Abbas have been nominated by the alliance as opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate, respectively.

“For my part, I met them and assured them of any kind of support,” Mr Afridi said, adding: “So whenever a call comes from them, you have to be ready. And we will together seize Haqiqi Azadi from them (the rulers).”

He alleged that “all institutions and the government want to eliminate the PTI” and claimed that the judiciary had also failed to address the party’s grievances.

Without naming anyone, he said: “Those who were supposed to protect us turned into our killers, and those raised to protect our mandate stole it. Tell me then, what solution do we have?”

He also took aim at Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, saying she had recently been offering advice to him and should instead focus on her own province.

“I will listen to them now?” he asked, adding: “Our leader is Imran, and we will listen only to him. There will be only Imran’s policy and rule here.”

He claimed that according to a recent survey, the police had emerged as the most corrupt department in the country and urged citizens to report corruption.

He said his government would act on complaints and directed divisional and district administrations to keep their doors open to the public and listen to their issues.

Provincial Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Aftab Alam Afridi said the PTI founder’s family and the chief minister had not been allowed to meet Imran Khan.

He condemned the portrayal of Mr Khan as a “security threat”, saying: “Yes, Khan was a threat, but only to those who have built business empires in this country.”

Referring to the Kohat rally, he called it a “warm-up match”.

“And this time, when we leave, we will not come back empty-handed,” he said, in remarks that appeared to allude to a possible protest drive.

PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President and MNA Junaid Akbar told participants that party workers could not be intimidated through police cases or press conferences. He said the PTI and its supporters were ready to defend CM Afridi’s government.

“If someone tries to impose governor’s rule in KP, you must reach and lay siege to the governor’s house,” he said. “We protected our vote and we will protect our government too.”

He also referred to violence during protests on Nov 26, 2024, saying the party had not expected “bullets, purchased from funds meant for development”, to be fired on its supporters. “But I assure you, this time we will come to face bullets,” he said.

Mr Akbar reiterated that Mr Achakzai would decide whether the alliance pursued dialogue or called for protests.

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Shafi Jan warned that if Mr Afridi was removed from office, “the powers that be” would not be able to control the masses.

Meanwhile, MNA Shehryar Afridi said the PTI would take Mr Khan’s message “to every corner of the country”.

“No power on earth could challenge Pakistan if the country were united,” he said. “Imran Khan is a matter of pride for us.”

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2025