Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said on Wednesday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest remains ongoing, emphasising that only the party's founder, Imran Khan, holds the authority to end it.
Gandapur, during a press conference in Mansehra, alleged that the party has been subjected to severe oppression, with baseless cases being registered against its members.
"Our party has faced coercion. Our leader [Imran Khan] is in jail, and even his wife [Bushra Bibi] was imprisoned," he said. He reiterated that PTI is a peaceful party and has consistently advocated for the supremacy of the Constitution.
In the early hours of Wednesday, the Imran Khan-founded party announced a "temporary suspension" of its "do-or-die" protest following a midnight crackdown by the law enforcers, which effectively dispersed the PTI workers.
In response, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar slammed the PTI, saying: "Such a colossal failure has become their fate. This was not the final call, but merely a missed call."
Tarar said that the KP CM's name should be "Ali Amin Bhagoora (deserter) instead of Ali Amin Gandapur".
Meanwhile, the party says that eight of its members were killed in the stand-off with the law enforcers, while government officials say that three Rangers personnel were martyred along with two other police personnel.
Expressing concerns about the abrupt end of the Islamabad protest, PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai said that the party leadership had "disappointed" him.
While speaking on Geo News' programme 'Geo Pakistan', Yousafzai said that the party leadership had failed to provide clear guidance during the protest, which lasted for three days after beginning on November 24.
Moving on in his presser, the chief minister criticised the government for suppressing PTI's activities, adding: "Whenever we announce a rally or procession, we are denied permission. Even the courts are not providing justice."
He claimed that the sit-in would continue as per Khan’s directives. "We announced a peaceful protest for the Islamabad march, and our founder allowed us to proceed to D-Chowk. Let me make it clear: the sit-in is ongoing," he emphasised.
Highlighting the violence during the protests, Gandapur said: "Several of our workers have been martyred, and hundreds have been injured. Why were we fired upon and subjected to violence when we remained peaceful?"
He added that if no violence had been used against PTI, their workers would not have retaliated.
The KP CM also revealed personal attacks against him during the protests. "I was personally targeted, there was an attempt to abduct me, and even a failed assassination attempt," he claimed.
He pledged to file an FIR for the violence against PTI workers and to hold those responsible accountable.
Gandapur further announced financial compensation for the families of those killed during the protests.
"I am announcing Rs10 million for each of our martyred workers' families," he said.
Asserting the strength of his province, Gandapur remarked: "This province knows how to claim its mandate and rights. The nation cannot be enslaved through bullets and violence."
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