Afridi to lead PTI march on Islamabad, says ‘no turning back’

Speaking during a visit to Hangu on Saturday, Afridi addressed PTI gatherings at Hangu Bazaar Chowk and Abu Bakr Siddique Chowk as part of

HANGU: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has announced that he will personally lead Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers during the party’s planned long march to Islamabad on September 27, insisting that the date is final and the movement will continue until its demands are met.

Speaking during a visit to Hangu on Saturday, Afridi addressed PTI gatherings at Hangu Bazaar Chowk and Abu Bakr Siddique Chowk as part of preparations for the party’s street movement. PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar Khan, provincial ministers and other party leaders and workers were also present.

Afridi called on party supporters to begin full preparations for the march, saying there would be no retreat. He told workers that he would lead them to Islamabad and expressed confidence that the movement would return with success.

The chief minister also criticised what he described as the failure to implement a Supreme Court directive concerning PTI founder Imran Khan’s medical treatment. Afridi claimed that a three-member bench had ordered arrangements for Khan’s treatment at Shifa International Hospital, but the directive had not been carried out despite time being granted for implementation.

He accused the authorities of applying court orders selectively, alleging that decisions involving PTI and its supporters were enforced quickly while the order concerning Khan’s treatment remained unimplemented.

Afridi urged the judiciary to ensure that laws and court decisions were applied equally, arguing that the country could not operate under separate standards for different groups.

Turning to the economy, the chief minister claimed that Pakistan’s public debt had climbed to Rs97 trillion while inflation and financial pressures continued to affect ordinary citizens. He also alleged that industrial investment was shifting abroad and that farmers were facing increasing difficulties.

Afridi portrayed Imran Khan as a unifying national figure and argued that his return would help rebuild public trust in state institutions and contribute to political stability. He also criticised government policies that he said were contributing to loss of life while benefiting a limited section of society.

Appealing particularly to young Pakistanis, Afridi urged them to take an active role in the September 27 movement. He said the youth make up a major share of PTI’s supporters and argued that they should play a decisive role in determining the country’s political future.