LAHORE: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has labelled the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)‘s newly launched agitation against the incumbent rulers as “do or die,” saying the anti-government protest movement would determine the party’s future course of action.
“We have to decide in 90 days whether to do politics or not. The protest movement will be a do or die,” Gandapur said while speaking at a press conference in Lahore alongside Salman Akram Raja and others.
The firebrand politician’s remarks come a day after the former ruling party formally launched its anti-government campaign, set to reach its “peak” by August 5, following a high-level huddle in the provincial capital.
He said that among other objectives, the protest movement is aimed at securing release of party founder Imran Khan, who will complete two years in jail on August 5.
Nationwide protest campaign: PTI lawmakers step up efforts aimed at getting party founder released
It is pertinent to mentioned here that the Imran Khan-founded party’s latest round of anti-government drive comes months after its negotiations with the government stalled over the issue of the formation of judicial commission to probe the May 9 riots and November 2024 Islamabad protest.
He said that apart from facing political challenges, the party and its leadership have been embroiled in a plethora of legal cases, including Imran and other senior leaders such as Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and others behind bars for quite some time.
He further said that although these jailed leaders have pressed for dialogue, it was previously reported that Imran had categorically rejected the negotiations as being the only way forward and further stressed that “there will be no further negotiations with anyone” and that there would be only protests on the streets.
In response to a question on the party’s latest protest movement aimed at achieving political goals, CM Gandapur said that it would be led by the PTI founder, who held the party’s decision-making power.
“We are fighting a war for the people of Pakistan. A fascist campaign is being launched against us again and our constitutional right to protest is being taken away.
“We will seek permission to hold a rally in Lahore. Only give me permission to hold a rally in Lahore and do not provide any facilities,” he said, adding that he would support anyone willing to hold a rally in KP and would even provide facilities to them.
In response to a question regarding the issue of reconciliation and dialogue, the chief minister said that Imran was ready to negotiate but had said that talks could be held with “decision makers.”
“We are ready to face the punishment for the mistake we have made, but the law of the land should be the same for everyone,” he maintained.
When asked’ about the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the CM challenged the former to contest an election against his brother.
“If Maulana Fazlur Rehman cannot win, then he should leave politics,” he said.
The remarks refer to the JUI-F chief’s remarks wherein he said that there should be a change in the province, and it should emerge from within the PTI — a hint towards the rumour mill concerning the possibility of a no-confidence motion against the Gandapur-led government in KP.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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