A fresh rift appears to have emerged within Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s announcement of a long march towards Islamabad on September 27, with the provincial government claiming the decision was taken in consultation with the party and its allies, while senior PTI leaders deny being taken into confidence.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced the long march during a rally in Peshawar on August 5, saying the protest would continue until its objectives were achieved. However, several PTI leaders expressed surprise immediately after the announcement, saying they had no prior knowledge of the plan.
Sources said the local PTI chapter in K-P was also opposed to the September 27 date, with the hashtag “27 September Long March Na-Manzoor” being circulated on social media.
Responding to criticism over the announcement, K-P Information Minister Shafi Jan said the decision had been taken through mutual consultation between the party and its allies. He said the PTI wanted to move forward with its allies and was also in contact with religious parties.
Jan said the Islamabad march would not be a one-day activity and could continue for several days. He maintained that the movement would be launched with full preparations to secure the rights of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.
He also announced plans to hold seminars at universities in Punjab and other provinces, saying the movement would be led by youth and attract millions.
Jan further said PTI’s doors were open to political parties opposed to the federal government, urging the Pakistan Peoples Party to leave its constitutional offices and join the opposition.
However, a senior PTI leader said Afridi had a tendency to make announcements during political campaigns and discuss them with the party leadership later. He insisted that the party had not been consulted about the September 27 plan.
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, however, offered a more nuanced position, saying Imran Khan had assigned Afridi responsibility for the street movement and therefore he could take decisions at his discretion. He confirmed that neither the party’s political committee nor its core committee had been consulted about the long march.
The controversy comes days after PTI staged nationwide protests on August 5 to mark the third anniversary of Imran Khan’s incarceration.Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express TribuneAhtesham BashirRead More