Gandapur asks Imran to shun peace, warns of taking to streets with ‘guns’

ABBOTTABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) firebrand Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Saturday urged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to stop advocating for peace and warned the incumbent government next time the party workers would take to the streets with “guns”.

Addressing a ceremony in Abbottabad, Gandapur — who has a track record of disappearing during the party’s marches on the federal capital — said: “Imran Khan! for God’s sake, stop advocating for peace. Next time, we will not talk about peace. When we come out with weapons, we will show who runs away.”

“We will take to the streets next time without the slogan of peace,” he warned and blasted the PML-N-led coalition government, saying that they were fighting against fascism. “Fascism has trampled on Pakistan’s Constitution, law, morality and humanity.”

The chief minister slammed Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and others in connection with their statements on the Islamabad clashes.

Lauding the sacrifices of “victims of November 26 D-Chowk violence”, Gandapur lamented the actions of law-enforcement agencies against PTI protesters. “We are facing tyranny that has trampled the Constitution and has strangled democracy. We honour those who sacrificed their lives for the cause of truth,” he told a party gathering in Havelian. He criticised the government for trying to suppress democracy and vowed to fight for their constitutional rights.

Gandapur said the sacrifices of those who were “martyred” at D-Chowk on November 26 would not go waste. He said he saluted the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for democracy and paid tributes to the people for supporting the PTI founder against tyranny. He vowed that the PTI would emerge victorious in its struggle.

Earlier, the chief minister inaugurated a Rs4.64 billion water supply scheme and announced multiple development projects during his visit to Havelian. He announced several initiatives for Havelian, including upgrading of 10 primary schools and a hospital, construction of a bypass road, establishment of 10 tubewells, 200 pressure pumps and five basic health units. He also announced sports grounds, parks, community centers, road infrastructure projects, the allocation of funds for a degree college building and land for a cemetery.

The water supply scheme being built with Korean assistance is expected to be completed in two years and will provide 250,000 gallons of water daily to both urban and rural areas of Havelian, benefiting approximately 94,000 residents.

During the visit, CM Gandapur also announced significant upgrades to Saji Kot Waterfall Road and Sherwan Road, among other infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said none of the PTI protests has ever been peaceful, as they want unrest in the country.

Reacting to an aggressive statement issued by CM Gandapur, the minister charged that they have always sacrificed the interests of the state for political interests. “It is the PTI’s habit to protest with armed groups along with illegal Afghan citizens. They have always wanted to harm the state and people,” he contended and noted that the ‘Anarchy Movement’ (Tehreek-e-Insaf) also attacked the federation last time with armed groups equipped with modern weapons, stun guns, teargas shells and grenades.

The armed groups of the Anarchy Movement, he claimed, opened fire without provocation and that Gandapur’s guards were seen firing. “They want to do politics on them by dropping bodies.”

“May 9 and November 26 are the darkest days in the country’s history. Many people were killed in a stampede during a rally of the founding chairman of the PTI in Multan, but he had continued his speech,” he recalled. He said they (PTI) have never cared about the lives and property of people. The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he emphasized, have already rejected their call and they will also reject the next call of the ‘Anarchy Movement’.