LAHORE, December 27 (TNF): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday announced that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will hold a major public rally at Minar-i-Pakistan on Sunday evening, challenging claims that the party no longer holds political ground in Punjab.
Speaking to the media during his three-day visit to Lahore, the KP chief minister said the PTI gathering would begin at 6pm and would serve as a clear response to critics who argue that the party’s support base in Punjab has weakened. According to Pakistan’s DAWN News, Afridi made the announcement while addressing party supporters and families of incarcerated PTI leaders.
Afridi arrived in Lahore on Friday and spent his first day meeting PTI workers and supporters at various locations along his route into the city. He described the reception as proof that the party remains active and mobilised in Punjab despite political pressure and arrests of senior leaders.
On Saturday, the chief minister visited the families of jailed PTI leaders after authorities did not allow him to meet them inside Kot Lakhpat Jail. He met the families of senior PTI figures, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Yasmin Rashid, and described their imprisonment as unjust. As reported by DAWN News, Afridi said the detained leaders remained a source of strength and courage for the party.
Addressing the media outside Qureshi’s residence, Afridi said he had no restrictions on visiting any part of Pakistan. “This is my Pakistan, and wherever I go, I do not need a reason,” he stated. He added that the KP government had formally written to the Punjab authorities to allow meetings with imprisoned PTI leaders, but received no response.
The KP chief minister openly challenged the Pakistan Muslim League-N to a political contest, inviting the ruling party to hold a rally of its choice in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He promised to facilitate their gathering, including arranging transport, if needed. In return, Afridi said, he would hold a PTI rally in Lahore to demonstrate public strength on both sides.
Afridi also addressed the broader political situation and the possibility of dialogue with the federal government. He said PTI founder Imran Khan had tasked the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) with handling talks or protests. While the alliance continues to support dialogue, Afridi said he had received instructions to prepare for a full-scale street movement and would take preparations “to their peak.”
According to DAWN News, the TTAP recently welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation for talks. However, no formal process has begun, and PTI leaders maintain that the government must initiate concrete steps.
Afridi’s visit to Lahore has not been without controversy. On Friday evening, heavy police deployment blocked several roads, preventing him from delivering a planned address at Liberty Roundabout. Earlier in the day, tensions flared near the Punjab Assembly, where members of his entourage clashed with security officials and heated exchanges with journalists took place.
Addressing PTI lawmakers inside the Punjab Assembly, Afridi criticised the conduct of the Punjab Police. He alleged that PTI workers and leaders faced harassment and arrests at multiple locations, including Chakri Interchange, Bhera, Sargodha, and Mandi Bahauddin. He described the police behaviour as unacceptable and politically motivated.
Despite the hurdles, Afridi said the PTI would continue its political struggle. He reiterated the party’s commitment to what he described as the “Haqeeqi Azadi” movement, aimed at restoring constitutional supremacy, judicial independence, and press freedom in Pakistan.
During his Lahore stay, Afridi also visited the families of other detained PTI leaders, including Ejaz Chaudhry and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed. He is also scheduled to visit the residence of PTI worker Ali Bilal, known as Zille Shah, who died during a protest in 2023.
As reported by Pakistan’s DAWN News, Afridi’s Lahore visit and the announcement of Sunday’s rally have injected fresh momentum into PTI’s political mobilisation in Punjab, setting the stage for a potentially significant show of strength at Minar-i-Pakistan.
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