ISLAMABAD: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi Wednesday announced the formation of a force for the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan.
Talking to the media outside the Supreme Court, he said he had been given the responsibility of street movement by the founder, as the court orders were being thrown into the trash, and personal doctors were not given access.
“I announce the Founder PTI Liberation Force; we will register this force, which will wage a peaceful struggle. We will take oath from the force members in Peshawar immediately after Eid,” he added. He said after adopting all legal and constitutional options, they would now be adopting a different way to get their leader freed.
He lamented that the situation had worsened to such an extent that even Imran’s sisters and his personal physicians were not being allowed access. This force, he continued, would have a chain of command. “Whoever Imran Khan gives responsibility would be given command of the force, which would include people from the PTI, its wings and professionals from different walks of life,” he said.
Sohail Afridi said that they would first make preparations and then fight; this fight would be for supremacy of democracy, the Constitution and a free media and, above all, for the release of their jailed leader who would dissolve it after expressing thanks to it. He would dissolve the force the same day after his release, he said.
In response to a question on chances of his sacking, Sohail Afridi said those in the PTI, who wanted to remove him, should know that honour and humiliation are bestowed by Allah. He suggested that they should ask the sisters of the party founder who gave the message on his removal.
Previously, it was Imran Khan, who had established the Tiger Force in 2022 and appointed Saifullah Khan Niazi as its convener before the general election. He had explained that the force was being established to bring forward male and female youngsters to lead the party from the front.
However, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Senator Rana Sanaullah warned on Wednesday that PTI’s announcement of forming a force and setting a post-Eid date for a movement to secure the release of Imran Khan could adversely impact the former prime minister’s meetings with his family members in Ramazan.
Rejecting allegations that authorities are restricting family access, Rana Sanaullah maintained that all facilities and legal rights due to prisoners are being provided strictly in accordance with jail regulations. He said claims of obstruction were unfounded.
Criticising the opposition’s rhetoric, he remarked that those calling for Khan’s release “do not have the capacity” to achieve it, despite threatening to adopt extraordinary measures if political efforts fail. He alleged that certain elements within the PTI were themselves creating hurdles that do not serve Khan’s interests.
Referring to the party’s planned protest movement after Eid, he questioned why PTI was escalating the agitation instead of ensuring smooth family access during Ramazan. He also asserted that Khan was being provided the best possible medical care and living conditions in jail, with no compromise on prisoners’ rights.
Rana Sanaullah further claimed that previous protests, wheel-jam strikes and sit-ins demanding Khan’s release have failed, suggesting that either external actors are misleading the PTI or internal decisions are undermining matters related to Khan’s prison facilities.
Separately, Tehreek Tahaffuz Aiyeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) announced on Wednesday to end its sit-in in view of Ramazan’s start. Flanked by TTAP Chairman and National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai and other senior leaders, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas made the announcement outside the Supreme Court here. Others present included Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, ex-PM AJK Abdul Qayyum Niazi and Shaukat Basra.
“Today, we will end our sit-in, which was announced and observed on the report submitted by Barrister Salman Safdar in the apex court, concerning Imran’s eyesight. Our demand, which is also his sisters’ demand, is that Imran Khan’s family and his physicians -- Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Asim -- be given access to him and his treatment should be done at Shifa Hospital,” he demanded.
He reiterated that if the rulers wanted to resolve the issue, which has been raised across the world and echoed by the world bodies, then a meeting with him was necessary and, therefore, his personal physicians as well as his family members should be given access to Imran Khan.
“When Imran Khan has said he has concerns, then it means there are concerns. Whatever the family demands are should be fulfilled,” he contended.
He called the demand made by Imran’s family to have him treated at Shifa International Hospital as genuine and maintained there were independent and competent doctors there who were not subordinate to any government medics.
Senator Nasir Abbas, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the opposition alliance, said that they would be unveiling their future course of action on Thursday, which would consist of various actions. Likewise, he noted the apex court was being moved against the negligence committed with reference to the PTI founder’s health.
Senator Nasir Abbas called the restrictions imposed on them during the sit-in as fascism and said they were only using their right to protest by staging a sit-in but after Juma prayers, the parliament gates were locked and they could not go outside, turning the legislature into a jail.
The opposition legislators staged a sit-in at the parliament while MNAs and MPAs were confined to the Parliament Lodges and those from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were restricted to KP House here. He regretted that cases of terrorism were filed against some lawmakers and a few sent on judicial remand.
Meanwhile, the police opened all the roads across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) by Wednesday morning that had been blocked by the PTI workers since Saturday, creating agony for people. Though some PTI workers continued protesting in Swabi, all roads, including the motorway, remained open for traffic. “All the roads are open for vehicular traffic in Swabi and other areas,” Regional Police Officer Mardan Rabnawaz Khan told The News.
Roads were also opened in Dera Ismail Khan, Karak, Kohat, Haripur, Nowshera and other areas on the directives of senior police officials.
The authorities had been ordered by the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to reopen all the roads as their closure was causing inconvenience to tens of thousands of people stranded for a long time.
The PHC, on a writ petition, had summoned the chief secretary and inspector general of police and directed them to clear the roads as the situation was causing inconvenience to the general public. The police started clearing the roads in phases immediately after the orders.
The roads were reopened at the Rashakai Interchange, Chashma Road Paharpur in Dera Ismail Khan, Chashma Road Mianwali (CPEC route) and other places by late Tuesday night. The motorway near Swabi was cleared later as many workers had earlier refused to reopen the road.
A report from Swabi said police in Swabi district cleared the Peshawar-Islamabad (M-1) Motorway near the Swabi Interchange rest area, bringing an end to the five-day sit-in staged by the PTI. According to police officials, the protest camp established at the Swabi Interchange was dismantled and all barricades, tents and other materials placed on the road were removed. As a result, traffic flow on the Peshawar-Islamabad (M-1) Motorway was restored.
A heavy police contingent was deployed during the operation to prevent any untoward incident.
Police authorities stated that in the light of court’s directives, it was imperative to keep the motorway open at all costs, as its closure had created serious difficulties not only for passengers but also for freight transport. Following the operation, some PTI workers regrouped near the rest area close to the Swabi Interchange. However, the motorway remained open for traffic.
Meanwhile, the provincial government informed the PHC that all motorways and major highways across the KP, which had been blocked due to protests by the PTI workers, have now been cleared and reopened for traffic. A report to this effect was submitted before the court by Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel, stating that traffic flow had been fully restored on all major arteries and protesters have been dispersed.
