Times Report
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi has stated that the public gathering scheduled for 5 August will mark a decisive political milestone rather than a routine party event, adding that the party’s future course of action will be unveiled before the nation on that occasion. He was addressing a joint parliamentary meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Members of the National Assembly, Provincial Assembly, and Senate at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar on Friday. The meeting reviewed preparations for the 5 August public gathering in detail, while responsibilities were assigned to elected representatives to ensure its effective organization. The Chief Minister said that since assuming office on 15 October 2025, the provincial government had consistently pursued constitutional, legal, and democratic avenues to resolve political issues through dialogue. He noted that the PTI leadership had also remained committed to a negotiated resolution of outstanding matters; however, despite sustained efforts, these initiatives had not received a constructive response from the other side. Referring to efforts to meet with his leader Imran Khan, the chief minister said he had approached both the Islamabad High Court and the Supreme Court and had sought meetings with their respective Chief Justices. He added that he had also raised the matter directly with the Chief Justice during a public event, maintaining that, as the elected Chief Minister, it was both his constitutional and legal right to meet his party leader. He emphasized that the provincial government’s policy direction was guided by Imran Khan’s vision, as the public mandate had been secured under his name and leadership. The Chief Minister further stated that disregarding the mandate received by Imran Khan amounted to disregarding the democratic will of approximately 45 million citizens of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He made it clear that the federal government was treating the province’s democratically elected government as a second-tier administration. Expressing concern over Imran Khan’s health, Sohail Afridi called for his family members, sisters, and personal physicians to be granted access to him. He described Imran Khan as a national asset and the country’s most popular political leader, reiterating his call for access to family members, personal physicians, and treatment at a medical facility of his preference. Addressing allegations related to the events of 9 May, the Chief Minister said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had consistently called for an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation to establish the facts. He reiterated Imran Khan’s publicly stated position that “the Army is mine and the country is mine,” and maintained that the party had responded to propaganda narratives through democratic and constitutional means. However, he added, these efforts had not resulted in a resolution of the underlying issues. Sohail Afridi stated that, having exhausted all constitutional and legal avenues, peaceful public protest now remained the only constitutional and democratic course available, noting that the constitution guarantees every citizen the right to peaceful assembly. Describing the 5 August gathering as a defining political event, the Chief Minister said it would serve as a pivotal milestone in the party’s political strategy and that its future roadmap would be presented to the nation during the event. He further announced that, following consultations with parliamentary representatives, the venue of the gathering had been relocated from the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium to a larger open site near the Peshawar motorway to facilitate public participation, improve traffic management, and ensure easier access for participants travelling from across the province.
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