PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Tuesday said the party’s long march would proceed as planned and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi would remain in office, rejecting a call to postpone the protest amid concerns over the possible imposition of emergency rule in the province.
Speaking to reporters, Gohar said the party leadership had received no instructions indicating any change in the provincial government’s leadership.
“We have received no instructions; the united opposition is with us,” he said, adding that Afridi enjoyed the support of PTI founder Imran Khan.
“Sohail Afridi will remain chief minister; he has the support of the PTI founder,” Gohar said.
Reaffirming the party’s position on the protest, he declared, “Our long march stands.”
He said PTI had consistently taken its opposition allies into confidence regarding the march and would continue to keep them informed about its plans.
TTAP invites PPP to All Parties Conference
Separately, a delegation of Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan (TTAP) visited the Pakistan Peoples Party’s central secretariat and met Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, secretary general of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, to invite the party to an upcoming All Parties Conference.
The delegation included PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Senator Allama Nasir Abbas, Senator Zeeshan Akhunzada and TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai.
During the meeting, the delegation briefed Bokhari on the objectives of the proposed conference and formally invited the PPP to participate.
Bokhari welcomed the delegation and said the invitation would be conveyed to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He added that the party’s response would be communicated to the TTAP delegation after Bilawal’s decision.
The two sides also discussed the prevailing political situation, constitutional supremacy, democratic institutions and the importance of consultation among political parties.
Bokhari said the PPP considered engagement with political parties on constitutional and democratic matters important.
Shaukat Yousafzai warns against possible emergency rule
Earlier, PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Secretary Shaukat Yousafzai urged Gohar to postpone the long march, warning that the federal government could use the prevailing security situation as a pretext to impose emergency rule in the province.
In a letter to the PTI chairman, Yousafzai expressed concern that the federal government could cite a possible attack from Afghanistan and the worsening security situation in KP to justify action against the provincial government.
He also referred to allegations that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was being portrayed as a facilitator of terrorists, describing the development as dangerous.
Yousafzai argued that the federal government was seeking to dissolve the provincial government and warned that the long march could increase the risk of confrontation between the state and PTI.
He suggested that the party postpone the protest in the wider national interest while maintaining its demands and supporting national defence.
The PTI leader said the party faced a choice between confronting the state, potentially putting the provincial government and party workers at risk, and pursuing negotiations to ease tensions.
He stressed that party workers were its most valuable asset and said the final decision rested with Gohar.
Opposition unity and political consultations
Responding to questions about relations with opposition parties, Gohar said the broader opposition alliance remained united behind PTI.
He said the Pakistan Peoples Party had engaged with the alliance in its capacity as an opposition party and that PTI had presented several proposals to the PPP.
Gohar expressed hope that the PPP would respond positively within a day or two.
He said political parties had an important role in strengthening democracy and maintaining constitutional supremacy, adding that provincial autonomy must remain consistent with the Constitution.
He also called for collective efforts to address inflation and other economic challenges, saying political parties needed to work together in the interest of national security, political stability and public welfare.
Gohar said consultations were under way to convene an All Parties Conference to discuss the country’s political and constitutional challenges.
