Lahore [Pakistan], December 27 (ANI): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday announced that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will organise a public gathering at Minar-i-Pakistan on Sunday as part of its street movement, Dawn reported.
Afridi, who is in Lahore on a three-day visit, spent Friday interacting with and addressing PTI supporters who assembled at multiple locations along his route to the city, according to Dawn. The visit is taking place amid rising political tensions and the party’s preparations for a broader protest drive.
On Saturday, the KP chief minister met the families of several jailed PTI leaders after being denied permission to see them at Kot Lakhpat jail. He visited the families of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Yasmin Rashid and other incarcerated party leaders.
Later in the afternoon, Afridi dismissed claims that PTI had lost its footing in Punjab and announced that the party would hold a rally at Minar-i-Pakistan at 6 pm on Sunday, Dawn reported.
Without naming the rival party, Afridi issued a challenge to the PML-N to demonstrate public support in each other’s provinces. “They can select a ground of their choice. Let’s see who will bring more people,” he said, adding that the rival party could hold its rally next week.
“I will also set up the stage for them in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. If they cannot provide transport to the people, I will also provide them with transport. They can hold a jalsa (rally) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and I will hold one in Lahore,” he added.
Afridi began his visits by going to Qureshi’s residence, where visuals shared by PTI on X showed Qureshi’s son Zain and daughter Meher Bano present. Speaking to reporters there, Afridi said, “This is my Pakistan, and wherever I go, I do not need a reason for it.”
Explaining the objective of his Lahore trip, Afridi said the KP government had written to Punjab authorities seeking permission to meet imprisoned PTI leaders at Kot Lakhpat jail but it “did not respond”. Referring to other detained leaders, he added, “I also wanted to meet the rest of the leadership and workers, but unfortunately, they did not let me meet them.”
He also criticised the conduct of the Punjab government, saying its “attitude since yesterday showed low mentality”.
When asked about the possibility of resolving issues with the federal government through talks, Afridi said PTI founder Imran Khan had assigned responsibility for “dialogue or protest” to the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP). While noting that the alliance was “making efforts on its end”, Afridi said he had been instructed to prepare for a street movement and would take “those preparations to their peak,” Dawn reported.
The TTAP has welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation for talks, though PTI leaders say they are awaiting a formal move from the government. Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said the prime minister would decide on talks once PTI clarifies its position.
Following Afridi’s visit, Zain Qureshi expressed gratitude in a post on X, stating that the KP chief minister had enquired about his father’s health, “hailed his sacrifices and also visited my mother”. “His visit is a source of encouragement and strength for us,” he wrote.
Afridi also visited the residences of Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed. According to his digital media focal person, Yar Muhammad Khan Niazi, Afridi met Rashid’s husband, Rashid Nabi Malik, along with Chaudhry’s wife and children.
The KP chief minister is also scheduled to visit the homes of PTI leader Hammad Azhar and party activists Sanam Javed and Falak Javed. Later in the evening, he is set to visit the residence of PTI worker Ali Bilal, also known as Zille Shah, who died during a party protest in 2023.
According to PTI lawyer Naeem Panjutha, Afridi was unable to visit former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema’s residence as it falls within a cantonment area and “permission was not being given to enter”.
At Rasheed’s residence, KP Local Government Minister Meena Khan Afridi said Punjab stood with Imran and “had always given us affection”. Panjutha said large crowds were expected on Lahore’s streets and urged the public to participate in the PTI movement until Imran’s release.
Afridi arrived in Lahore on Friday around 4.30 pm and proceeded towards the Punjab Assembly, Dawn reported. The visit witnessed altercations between members of his entourage and security personnel, along with heated exchanges involving PTI leaders and journalists.
Although Afridi later reached Liberty Roundabout, he was unable to deliver a planned address as police blocked all access routes by erecting pickets.
Addressing PTI lawmakers at the Punjab Assembly, Afridi thanked the people of Punjab for their hospitality but criticised police behaviour during his journey.
“Today, the Punjab Police were rude to our workers at Chakri Interchange, Bhera, Sargodha and Mandi Bahauddin,” he said. “Our workers, our parliamentarians, our leaders — they were harassed and arrested. This cannot be condemned enough.”
In separate remarks to the media, Afridi said he was in Lahore on the instructions of Imran to initiate a mass street movement and urged people to prepare themselves.
“We will take Imran Khan’s ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ (real independence) movement to its logical conclusion, restore the supremacy of the Constitution and law, and revive an independent judiciary and independent media,” he said. (ANI)