Kohat, Sunday — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Sunday urged supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to remain prepared in the event of a call for protest, saying the party would collectively strive to achieve what he described as “Haqiqi Azadi” (true freedom) from the country’s current rulers.
Addressing a PTI rally in Kohat, the chief minister referred to the message delivered by the party’s incarcerated founder, Imran Khan, stating that Khan had conveyed a resolve of “freedom or death” from prison. Afridi told the gathering that any future movement would be decisive, adding that participants would either “return in shrouds or after achieving freedom.”
He said Imran Khan had delegated the authority to decide on talks with the government or the launch of protests to Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. Both leaders are part of the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), alongside the PTI, and have been nominated as opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate.
Afridi said he had met the two leaders and assured them of full support, urging party workers to be ready whenever a call was issued. He alleged that state institutions and the government were working to marginalise the PTI, adding that even the judiciary had failed to address the party’s grievances.
Without naming individuals, the chief minister criticised what he described as the failure of institutions tasked with protecting citizens and safeguarding electoral mandates. He also responded to remarks by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, advising her to focus on her own province instead of commenting on KP affairs.
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During his speech, Afridi urged citizens to report corruption and directed divisional and district administrations to remain accessible to the public and address their concerns promptly.
Provincial Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Aftab Alam Afridi said that Imran Khan’s family and party leadership had been denied meetings with the former prime minister. He criticised Khan being labelled a security threat, arguing that Khan posed a challenge only to entrenched business interests.
Afridi’s intimation came during a PTI rally in Kohat, where he reminded the crowd that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, had delivered the message from jail of “freedom or death”.https://t.co/7H09edDa9o
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) December 14, 2025
PTI’s KP president and MNA Junaid Akbar told supporters that party workers could not be intimidated through police cases or official statements. He warned against any attempt to impose governor’s rule in the province, calling on workers to resist such a move.
Other speakers, including Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Shafi Jan and MNA Shehryar Afridi, reiterated support for Imran Khan and said the party would continue to raise his case nationwide, stressing that national unity was essential for Pakistan’s strength.
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