KOHAT: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said that the federal government should abandon its failed security policy and adopt the provincial government’s proposed strategy, claiming that peace could be restored in the province within 100 days. Speaking to participants of the long march at University Chowk before leaving Kohat, the chief minister thanked the people of Kohat for their support and praised their spirit and patriotism. Sohail Afridi said the draft of his demands had been made public on social media and declared that he would call off the long march if even a single demand was found to be illegal or unconstitutional. He said that since assuming office as chief minister, he had exhausted all democratic, constitutional and legal avenues to address his concerns. According to him, he had repeatedly requested a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan and had also approached the prime minister, the provincial assembly and the Chief Justice of Pakistan, but his efforts had not produced the desired result. The chief minister said that when justice was not available through constitutional and legal forums, the Constitution allowed citizens to hold peaceful protests. He stressed that the ongoing protest would remain peaceful and that the participants would register their demands without violence. Afridi said that demands for Imran Khan’s medical treatment, a meeting with his family and lawyers, and his release through due legal process were not unconstitutional. He questioned why courts were not hearing the cases and claimed that if the cases were decided on merit, Imran Khan could be released soon. He alleged that Imran Khan was being kept in prison because of his political stance and refusal to bow before powerful forces. He said that courts, assemblies and other state institutions were funded through taxpayers’ money and therefore the people had a right to demand justice. On the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the chief minister criticized successive military operations and drone strikes, saying that terrorism had not been eliminated despite years of such measures. He claimed that the provincial government had a different strategy and that peace could be established in the province within 100 days if the federal government adopted it. Sohail Afridi said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had sacrificed more than 80,000 lives for Pakistan and that the province’s interests would not be compromised. He urged the public to remain peaceful and avoid any activity that could lead to unrest. He said the long march was initially planned for Peshawar but that the participants would first travel towards Khyber before proceeding to Peshawar. He also criticized objections raised over the change in the march’s schedule from September 27 to October 4. The chief minister further claimed that the current government’s tenure was nearing its end and expressed confidence that his political party would return to power Commenting on reports about Imran Khan’s health, Afridi said concerns were once again being raised about the PTI founder’s condition. He warned that if any harm came to Imran Khan, the jail administration, the prime minister and other relevant authorities would be held responsible.
