RAWALPINDI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has declared the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally scheduled for September 27 in Peshawar as a “decisive moment” for the nation, urging workers to arrive in large numbers and show unity.
Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail on Monday after being denied a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan, Gandapur said the gathering would determine “where the country stands.” He stressed that K-P was the heartland of PTI and called on supporters to stand together against political pressure. “If we want real freedom, we must stay united. Without strength, neither talks succeed nor struggles are won,” he remarked.
The CM criticized the government for blocking his meeting with Imran Khan, warning that restrictions on communication with party leaders could fuel divisions. He said, “Preventing visits only creates rifts within the party. Resistance becomes the only option when the law and Constitution are ignored.”
He urged supporters to reach Peshawar ahead of time, promising arrangements for their stay, and stressed that the rally was vital for the party’s future.
Meanwhile, PTI founder’s sister Aleema Khan accused authorities of deliberately prolonging the Toshakhana 2.0 case by presenting “false witnesses.” She told the media that such tactics were politically motivated and legally weak, adding that “the punishment for false testimony is seven years in prison.”
Aleema also voiced concerns over limited media access to court proceedings and alleged that Imran Khan was being denied basic rights, including contact with his children.
On the wider security front, she highlighted that militancy in K-P could not be curbed by expelling Afghan refugees alone. She urged the Afghan government, local tribes, and Pakistan’s state institutions to hold dialogue for peace, warning that security forces, police, and civilians continue to bear the cost of violence.
Reiterating the need for party unity, she called on PTI’s MNAs and MPAs to back Gandapur’s leadership and support constitutional resistance.
