PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday offered the federal government another chance to hold talks before the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) October 4 long march. He said PTI had never refused talks, even though preparations for the march were complete.
Speaking to senior journalists, Afridi said seven days remained before the march and urged the federal government to use that time for talks. He asked why talks could not begin now if they would be needed after the protest anyway.
Afridi said PTI had been ready to talk the previous day and was still ready. He added that the party had never stepped away from talks. However, he claimed that the rulers were preventing an agreement between PTI and the establishment.
His offer came after PTI moved its planned September 27 protest to October 4 following a decision by its political committee.
Afridi said PTI had contacted all relevant institutions for the past nine months but had received no reply. He said this had led the party to announce the September 27 protest.
He again referred to court orders about meetings with PTI founder Imran Khan. He said orders allowing 18 people to meet Khan each week had not been followed.
Afridi said there was still time to settle the matter before the march and urged the government to use the remaining days for talks.
He also criticised the federal government’s treatment of K-P, claiming it had closed routes into the province and interfered in its affairs.
Afridi said PTI had been called “wild” and “terrorist”. He was referring to Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s comments that the provincial government was the TTP’s “B-team” and the Afghan Taliban’s “C-team”.
Tarar made those claims on Friday. He accused the K-P government of failing to keep order and helping terrorist groups.
The chief minister said the comments were part of a planned campaign. He also claimed that the heavy preparations against the march showed that some people were against PTI.
‘Political movement, not armed group’
Afridi said PTI would go ahead with the march on October 4 and would return only after achieving “real freedom”. He said the party was a political movement, not an armed group.
He repeated that PTI had never rejected talks and said JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would be welcome to join them.
Afridi said the party had discussed the September 27 date with TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai. He said preparations for the march were complete and that the delay was a political plan.
He also criticised the atmosphere in the provincial civil secretariat and other institutions. He said action would be taken against those spreading fear and rumours.
Afridi said he had visited the mosque in question and offered Friday prayers there. He also mentioned containers that had been taken to the Red Zone and later removed. He said preparations for the October 4 march were complete.
The chief minister claimed that people were still interfering in the provincial government’s work. Referring to the Shakil Khan matter, he said a deputy commissioner had been forced to register a first information report.
He asked how government workers could stand up to “uncontrolled elements” and praised the Kohat assistant commissioner for choosing to remain calm.
He also claimed that the country’s debt had risen from Rs43 trillion to Rs97 trillion.
Afridi said PTI would hold the march no matter what and that preparations were complete. He warned that if a “misadventure” took place, the party could come out even before October 4.
Afridi claimed that one person was making the country’s decisions, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi acting on his behalf. He said the government itself did not matter much to him and that he considered himself a soldier of Imran Khan.
Afridi also warned that imposing governor’s rule in K-P or removing him from office would lead to an unprecedented public response. He said the government could not afford either step. He said that if he was no longer chief minister, Imran Khan would decide who replaced him.
Reported By: Staff Reporter I Peshawar
