KP CM Afridi vows PTI's October 4 march will be 'unmatched'

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has promised that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) march on Islamabad on October 4 will be “unmatched in the country’s history”, even as the federal government keeps governor’s rule and an emergency in the province on the table.

Afridi said the protesters would “reach Swabi”, the district on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s border with Punjab, in the first phase of the march, Dawn reported. The PTI is holding the march to demand the release of its founder, Imran Khan.

“Our workers will be unarmed”

The chief minister insisted the protest would be peaceful. “We are peaceful and our workers will be unarmed; anyone holding anything in his hand or creating chaos would not be from amongst us,” he said.

He also warned the government against any “adventure”, saying “the people of KP will protect their mandate as they did during the February 8 general elections”.

Asked about reports of backdoor contacts between the PTI and the government, Afridi said “the party leadership might have such contacts, but he had been tasked with the resistance”.

Frustration inside the PTI

Afridi also showed impatience with his own party. At a PTI parliamentary party meeting at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar on Tuesday, he complained about weak preparations for the march. “We also have Mir Jafars and Mir Sadiqs within our ranks,” he said, using the names of two historical traitors, The Express Tribune reported.

“We are not going to conquer Islamabad, and the federal government is blocking our way,” he said. Responding to claims that protesters might be armed, he said: “We will go with two hands and two feet.”

The march will leave from Peshawar. It was originally planned for September 27, and Afridi announced the new date on September 25. PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Junaid Akbar has told party lawmakers and leaders who are abroad to return to Pakistan by October 4 or lose their party affiliation.

The Islamabad High Court has already barred the blocking of roads and ordered that state resources must not be used for the protest.

The Centre’s warning

The federal government and its allies made clear they are ready to act.

• Rana Sanaullah, adviser to the prime minister, said “all options” were available, including imposing an emergency. “The Centre can take control of the province,” he said. “These three options are on the table,” he added, listing political dialogue, an emergency and governor’s rule.
• Azam Nazeer Tarar, the law minister, said such measures “could be made if required”, pointing to the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• Faisal Karim Kundi, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor, said governor’s rule “could be considered if the president and prime minister deemed it necessary”. He also questioned the PTI’s ability to deliver on its promise. “Let them first cross Swabi,” he said.

A tense few days ahead

The exchange sets up a tense run-up to Sunday’s march. The PTI governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and a chief minister leading his party’s supporters towards the federal capital puts the provincial and federal governments on a collision course.

The province is also dealing with a serious security situation, with militant attacks and counter-terrorism operations in several districts, which federal ministers have cited as a reason special measures might be needed.

What to watch

• Swabi: whether the march reaches the Punjab border in its first phase, as Afridi promised
• Governor’s rule or emergency: whether the Centre moves before or during the march
• Talks: whether the backdoor contacts Afridi acknowledged lead anywhere before October 4

Read our earlier report on how the opposition alliance invited the PPP to a multiparty conference planned for after the march.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn.