Afridi urges massive turnout for August 5 Peshawar rally

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has called on people across the province, especially young people, to join a public gathering at Peshawar Toll Plaza on August 5, describing it as a decisive moment in K-P politics.

In a message on the planned rally, Afridi said people would have to come out themselves to speak against what he called oppression, injustice, inflation, unemployment and worsening law and order. He said the gathering would serve as a "semi-final" and that major announcements would be made there.

Afridi also voiced concern over the health of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, saying their condition was "extremely worrisome". He said demands for their treatment under the supervision of personal physicians had not been met, and alleged that Khan was being kept in illegal solitary confinement while family members, party leaders, personal doctors and even his sons were being denied access to him.

The chief minister said he represented Imran Khan and that the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had voted in the PTI founder’s name and for his vision. He accused the ruling setup of serving the interests of its handlers rather than the public, and criticised what he described as silence on key national issues including Balochistan and Kashmir.

Afridi said political and national disputes should be settled under the Constitution and the law, adding that "guns are not a solution to any problem". He warned that the economy was heading toward destruction, with inflation, unemployment and instability continuing to rise while, he said, the government’s focus remained fixed on keeping Imran Khan under restrictions.

Referring to cases against him, Afridi said that despite acquittals in the May 9 cases, the matters had been reopened through fresh investigations. He said more cases had been fixed for July 28 and 29, but added that he would not be intimidated. He said, "I will remain steadfast on Imran Khan's ideology until my last breath, and no power can deviate me from this path."

He also alleged discriminatory treatment, saying action had been taken against him for speaking in another district while the Election Commission remained silent over the election campaign of a chief minister from another province. Afridi said PTI, its leadership and the K-P government were being treated as second-class citizens by state institutions.