Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has clarified that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did not issue any formal call for nationwide street protests, despite the presence of party workers in different areas. He said the party’s current strategy is to confine its protest to a peaceful sit-in outside Parliament House.
Afridi stated that opposition lawmakers are staging a constitutional and non-violent protest in front of Parliament. He noted that the demonstration is being led by senior political figures, including Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Nasir Abbas. According to him, even though several parliamentarians were stopped from reaching the venue, the sit-in continues peacefully.
He emphasized that no official protest call has been issued by the party’s central leadership. Afridi pointed out that no public or private property was damaged during the demonstration, describing it as proof that the protest remains disciplined, lawful, and within constitutional limits.
The chief minister warned against any attempt to infiltrate the protest with disruptive elements. He said that if chaos is created through outside interference, the responsibility would lie with the government. He added that party workers are emotional due to the incarceration of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, but they have been instructed to remain patient and peaceful.
Afridi stressed that PTI is a structured political party with a defined chain of command, not a mob. He said any future protest strategy would only be announced by the leadership nominated by Imran Khan. He added that when an official call is made, the public response would be significant, but clarified that the current sit-in is focused solely on the former prime minister’s health concerns.
Meanwhile, the opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) has decided to continue its protest outside Parliament until its demands are accepted. After a consultative meeting, PTI leader Asad Qaiser said the alliance would maintain the sit-in and continue deliberations on its next steps.
Qaiser reiterated that the primary demand is to allow Imran Khan’s personal physician to examine him. Following the announcement, opposition lawmakers resumed their demonstration at Parliament’s main gate, chanting slogans in support of their demands.
