KP CM Afridi says PTI march will go ahead despite road blockades

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Friday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s planned march on Islamabad would go ahead “at all costs”, despite road blockades and other measures by authorities to prevent the protest.

Afridi described the planned Sept. 27 march as peaceful but said PTI supporters would take to the streets even if roads were blocked with containers or fitted with steel spikes.

The party has said the protest is aimed at pressing for the release of its jailed founder, former prime minister Imran Khan.

“No matter whether they install spikes on roads, place containers on roads or fire bullets, we will take to the streets,” Afridi told a news conference. He accused the authorities of using increasingly restrictive measures against the party.

Afridi also alleged that officials from other provinces had entered Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and become involved in clashes, describing the measures as an attempt to isolate the province from the rest of the country.

“First they made a narrative that we are not afraid of India but just one province from Pakistan, now they are resorting to lame tactics,” he said.

His remarks came as PTI prepared to finalize its strategy for the march, with a meeting of the party’s political committee under way. Afridi said the media would be invited to a subsequent briefing.

The chief minister also said that coverage of the KP information minister had been restricted and questioned the motive behind what he described as efforts to limit the party’s access to the media.

“The conspiracy going on is very dangerous and this should not happen,” Afridi said, alleging that some KP ministers were being abducted by people in civilian clothes. He did not provide evidence for the allegations.

Afridi further accused the federal government of creating a false sense of security risk at government offices in the province and disrupting their operations. He said he had visited the KP Secretariat after reports of a threat and found no apparent security threat there.

The PTI has repeatedly described its planned march as peaceful and constitutional, while authorities have stepped up security measures ahead of the protest. The government has said it will maintain law and order and prevent disruption in the capital.

Afridi said he would travel to Charsadda and speak to the media again after his return, while urging journalists to ask their channel owners whether he would be allowed to appear in coverage.