Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Sohail Afridi strongly reacted to the Federal government’s threats to stop the protests, saying that the September 27 long march is a peaceful, democratic and constitutional struggle. He said every Pakistani citizen has the full right to raise their voice for their fundamental rights and protest within the framework of the Constitution, adding that PTI would exercise this constitutional and democratic right to convey the people’s voice to the relevant institutions.

On social media platform X, Sohail Afridi strongly criticized the federal ministers, saying that the ministers’ persistent threatening statements were a matter of serious concern for any democratic society. He said rulers should listen to public demands, respect constitutional rights and seek solutions to all political issues through serious dialogue, the law and the democratic process instead of confrontation.

The PTI leader further said that every sensible Pakistani citizen was currently demanding the restoration of the Constitution to its original form, the immediate release of all unjustly imprisoned political detainees, including PTI founder Imran Khan, free journalism and constitutional freedoms. He added that the country’s youth were striving for employment, workers for their economic rights and farmers for fair compensation for their labor. These dignified demands, he said, should be addressed through effective governance rather than threats.

He made it clear to the government and security institutions that Tehreek-e-Insaf did not want any confrontation and that its September 27 protest would remain fully within constitutional limits. However, he said no pressure, threat or intimidation could block PTI’s peaceful struggle. Sohail Afridi concluded his statement with the famous couplet: “Come here, tyrant, let us test our skills; You test your arrows, we shall test our courage.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)