PESHAWAR, Pakistan — — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has promised that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will launch a street movement “with full force” under the directives of party founder Imran Khan, signalling a new and potentially significant phase of political mobilisation in the province and across the country.
- Speaking to a large gathering in his hometown Bara, Afridi stated that PTI’s leadership has tasked senior party figures, including Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Allama Nasir Abbas, with negotiating with the federal government and overseeing the planning of the upcoming political movement. He emphasised that party activists and workers are fully mobilised and that there will be no pause until the movement achieves its objectives, indicating PTI’s determination to assert pressure through organised protests and public demonstrations.
- Afridi also addressed ongoing security concerns, accusing the federal government of launching operations in areas such as Tirah Valley without consulting the provincial administration. He claimed that the provincial government had repeatedly informed state institutions about militant presence in tribal areas but received no meaningful response. Afridi framed these actions as part of what he described as a larger propaganda and misinformation campaign aimed at discrediting PTI and creating a false narrative about governance and security in the province.
- Reiterating PTI’s stance, Afridi argued that the democratically elected government of Imran Khan had been removed through what he called an “illegal operation,” followed by continuous campaigns to undermine the party. He highlighted efforts such as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Grand Peace Jirga, which brought together political, religious, and civil society representatives to promote dialogue and stability, but claimed that this peace initiative had been sabotaged by external forces.
- Afridi also voiced strong support for the tribal districts, stressing that the local population has made substantial sacrifices for the country and should not be treated as “testing grounds” for military or administrative experiments. He criticised the federal government for failing to implement the development promises made after the FATA-KP merger, including the pledged Rs1 trillion package for social and economic uplift, and vowed that his government would continue to defend the rights and interests of the tribal communities.
- Analysts note that PTI’s planned street movement, which is expected to include rallies and demonstrations across multiple cities, could escalate political tensions nationwide. The upcoming mobilisation will test the party’s organisational capacity, the government’s ability to maintain law and order, and the overall political dynamics in Pakistan’s increasingly fractious landscape.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.