PTI announces Mardan rally on Imran Khan’s directions

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has announced a public rally in Mardan for Sunday, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi saying the event will be held on the directions of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.

Speaking to the media in the federal capital on Monday, Afridi said the gathering would take place at Mardan Railway Ground and called on PTI supporters and people from across the country to attend. He described it as a grand public rally meant to demonstrate continued support for the PTI founder.

Afridi said the purpose of the event was to show that Imran Khan still commands wide public backing despite being in jail. He said the rally would seek to demonstrate that the former premier remains capable of mobilising large-scale political activity.

The chief minister also said Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had been unjustly imprisoned and added that PTI leaders had faced what he described as continuous atrocities for years. "On 19 April, we will send a message to Imran Khan in his absence that the nation still stands firmly with him," he added.

Afridi urged people to participate in large numbers and said opponents, particularly digital touts on social media, were spreading negative propaganda aimed at undermining the event.

Islamabad protest plans remain on hold

The announcement of the Mardan rally comes as Imran Khan has directed the party not to hold any rally or protest in Islamabad for now. PTI had earlier put off its planned public meeting at Liaqat Bagh in Rawalpindi, which had originally been scheduled for April 9.

Those instructions followed a meeting between Imran Khan and Barrister Salman Safdar at Adiala Jail on April 8. During that meeting, the PTI founder told the party to postpone the Rawalpindi gathering in view of sensitive US-Iran peace talks taking place in Islamabad, while stressing support for Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts.

Safdar later said Imran Khan would personally announce any fresh date for future protests. Afridi, in a later press conference, described the postponement as a step taken in Pakistan’s larger interest and as a matter of national responsibility.

Afridi added that Imran Khan had also directed that a major public gathering be held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within the next 10 days.

Questions within opposition alliance

The decisions regarding both the Rawalpindi postponement and the Mardan rally have also brought attention to coordination issues within the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP).

TTAP leaders have expressed dissatisfaction that the alliance was not formally consulted and often comes to know of PTI plans through media statements instead of direct communication. TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Ahmed Yousafzai confirmed that the alliance had not officially been informed about the April 19 Mardan rally.

Yousafzai also said there had been rumours that Imran Khan was unhappy with opposition leaders in the Senate and National Assembly. He said he contacted PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja for clarification.

According to Yousafzai, Raja conveyed two points relayed by Salman Safdar: first, that Imran Khan has complete trust in the TTAP leadership; and second, that decisions on rallies and political matters should be taken under the guidance of Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.

In this context, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja also issued a statement on X clarifying the party’s broader political strategy.