Staging protests a legal and constitutional right, says KP CM ahead of PTI's Sept 27 long march

Ahead of the PTI’s planned long march to Islamabad on Sept 27, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Wednesday that staging a protest was a legal and constitutional right.

Addressing a cabinet meeting in Peshawar, CM Afridi alleged that for the past three to four days, “plainclothes individuals” had been targeting PTI workers, office-bearers and elected representatives.

He alleged that an assassination attempt was made on Communications and Works Minister Shakil Khan, who also managed to evade an attempt to abduct him.

CM Afridi further alleged that Minister for Public Health Engineering Fazal Shakoor was abducted by plainclothes individuals, who also opened fire on his car.

“If a minister, a provincial cabinet member is not safe from these thugs, then what about the common man?” he asked. The chief minister emphasised that the treatment being meted out to provincial cabinet members was “unacceptable”.

“These people are afraid of the power of the people. No sane person would take such measures,” he asserted.

He also assailed PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah’s reported remarks labelling the people of KP as terrorists and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz remarks regarding the terror threat from other provinces.

He said that from today, the province would be cut off from the rest of Pakistan and all routes to it would be closed.

“The rest of Pakistan will remain open, but no one will be able to enter or leave KP,” he said.

“What should we make of cutting KP off from the rest of Pakistan and closing all routes? Is there a conspiracy underway? Is an attempt being made to repeat the East Pakistan tragedy?” he asked.

“Whatever conspiracy is being hatched, and whoever is behind it, our clear message to them is: Pakistan belongs to us,” the chief minister said. He asserted that KP was and will continue to be a part of Pakistan.

“Goons dressed in plain clothes are intimidating and threatening our bureaucracy, police, deputy commissioners and district police officers,” he further alleged.

The chief minister advised that the bureaucracy, police, deputy commissioners and district police officers to not to be afraid.

“If the provincial government is not asking you to do anything wrong, do not obey unlawful orders from any institution or department,” he said.

“Protesting is everyone’s legal and constitutional right. We will stage a peaceful protest because we are not being heard anywhere … the Constitution allows us to hold peaceful protests, and we will protest at all cost,” he said.

“As long as the right to peaceful protest exists in the Constitution, we will continue to hold peaceful protests,” CM Afridi maintained.

“My message to the people of KP and the entire Pakistan is: do not panic, do not be afraid,” he said.

Preparations in the Rawalpindi Division and the federal capital territory to maintain security and deal with any emergency situation are in full swing in light of the potential long march by the PTI and other protests in Islamabad.

Earlier this week, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had warned the PTI against its long march, urging the party to refrain from proceeding with the protest.

The interior minister vowed the government will not “leave any loopholes” in its response if the party went ahead with the protest.