Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has announced that PTI will hold a long march towards Islamabad on September 27. He claimed that up to four million people could participate in the mobilisation.
Addressing participants of the PTI’s street movement at Abu Bakr Siddiq Chowk in Hangu, Afridi said the upcoming march would be larger than previously expected. He claimed that four million people could reach the federal capital.
Afridi said the mobilisation was being planned because of what he described as the government’s failure to implement court directions concerning PTI founder Imran Khan’s medical treatment.
The KP chief minister alleged that a decision issued by a three-member bench had not been implemented. He questioned the application of the law and said the same standards should apply to everyone.
Afridi claimed that orders issued against him by courts, the Federal Investigation Agency and other institutions were implemented quickly. However, he alleged that directions concerning Imran Khan’s medical treatment had not received similar treatment.
“There cannot be one law for the weak and another for the powerful,” Afridi said. He stressed that justice should be applied equally to all citizens.
The KP chief minister also raised allegations regarding the treatment of PTI’s women supporters. He claimed that Imran Khan’s sisters had faced humiliation and that female PTI workers were experiencing pressure and coercion.
Afridi expressed solidarity with Imran Khan and his family during his address. He described Khan’s political movement as a campaign for equal application of the law and access to justice.
The chief minister also criticised the country’s economic situation. He said farmers were facing difficulties while industrialists were allegedly moving their capital abroad.
Afridi said he would not support any approach in which state institutions protected powerful groups. He also called on young people to become more politically active and play a greater role in determining Pakistan’s future.
The announcement comes amid continuing political tensions between PTI and the federal government. The proposed September 27 mobilisation could lead to increased political activity in Islamabad and other parts of the country.
The size of the proposed march and the arrangements for the event will become clearer as September 27 approaches. Authorities are also expected to consider security and traffic arrangements if PTI proceeds with the planned mobilisation.
