Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has criticised the federal government ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned long march on October 4, saying his party would neither allow a repeat of the May 9 violence nor let anyone create such circumstances again.
In a statement issued on X on Saturday, Afridi said the march would continue until the supremacy of the Constitution and law and the restoration of an independent judiciary in Pakistan.
“We will neither allow May 9 to happen again nor will we let anyone do so,” Afridi said.
On October 3, the military leadership warned that any attempt to create a situation similar to the May 9, 2023 unrest would be met with “decisive force and rule of law, without hesitation and discrimination”.
The warning was issued during the 277th Corps Commanders Conference, chaired by Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, amid political tensions over the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s planned October 4 march on Islamabad. The government and PTI began negotiations on Friday and agreed to resume talks on Saturday. The commanders were directed to strengthen operational preparedness through modern technology, training and improved combat capabilities.
Meanwhile, the chief minister, without naming the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), alleged that those behind the Dawn Leaks wanted to create circumstances that could threaten the country.
“Those who orchestrated the Dawn Leaks … want, God forbid, our Pakistan to break apart,” he said.
Afridi also referred to remarks attributed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz about terrorism threats from neighbouring provinces and criticised what he described as the treatment of Pashtuns by political opponents.
“Those who do not fear India but fear the Pakistani people … whose entire party calls Pakistan’s Pashtuns terrorists … are setting Pakistan on fire to save their power,” he said.
March to begin from Lakki Marwat
Afridi said the PTI march would begin from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat on October 4, with participants travelling towards Islamabad.
“On October 4, a sea of people will begin its journey from Gandi Chowk, Lakki Marwat, and will continue its struggle until the supremacy of the Constitution and law and the restoration of an independent judiciary in Pakistan,” he said.
The PTI had earlier announced October 4 as the new date for the march after postponing its initial September 27 plan. Afridi said on October 2 that the procession would start from Lakki Marwat and reach Peshawar’s Matni area on the night of October 6.
PTI leaders have described the march as peaceful, while the party has said its broader demands include constitutional supremacy, judicial independence and political issues concerning jailed party founder Imran Khan.
Responding to accusations from government and PML-N figures that the PTI was preparing for violence or an “attack on Islamabad”, Afridi said: “The one who stole the CCTV footage was the one who made May 9 happen.”
Afridi links terrorism to policy
Afridi also addressed the security situation in KP, saying terrorism should not be treated merely as a political narrative.
“Terrorism is not a ‘narrative war’ for the people of KP and Pakistan; every citizen is affected by it,” he said.
According to Afridi, Imran Khan has maintained that conducting military operations against Pakistan’s own population and displacing people is not a lasting solution.
He also said Khan’s position was that drone strikes and civilian casualties contribute to an increase in terrorism.
Afridi claimed that opposition to the existing counterterrorism approach was no longer limited to the PTI and said it was shared by people belonging to political and religious parties as well as different schools of thought. He pointed to signatures collected during a jirga held in the provincial assembly as evidence of that position.
The chief minister also contrasted the security situation in the province during the previous PTI-led federal government with the period that followed what he described as a “regime change”.
He said Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had previously become known for “tourism, not terrorism”, but alleged that terrorism had returned to the province following the change in government.
Afridi claimed that peace could be restored in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 100 days, but said achieving that would require a change in the government’s current policy.
May 9 remains a point of political dispute
The May 9, 2023 unrest began after news of Imran Khan’s arrest triggered protests by PTI supporters in several cities. Some demonstrations turned violent, with attacks and damage reported at government and military installations and other property.
Several PTI leaders and workers have faced cases arising from the violence, with some senior party figures receiving convictions in related cases.
The military leadership also warned recently that any attempt to create violent unrest or circumstances similar to May 9 would be dealt with under the law. Afridi’s latest remarks came against the backdrop of those warnings and the government’s preparations for the October 4 march.
The PTI, meanwhile, has continued to describe its planned protest as peaceful. Afridi previously said the party’s workers were political and peaceful and accused the government of attempting to create conditions similar to May 9 to initiate cases against PTI supporters.
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