PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi held talks with opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate on Saturday to discuss the PTI’s planned nationwide protest and march on Islamabad on September 27.
The meeting was held with National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) spokesperson Hussain Ahmed Yousafzai also attended.
According to a statement issued by TTAP, the participants held detailed consultations on the September 27 protest, including its future course of action and political strategy.
The leaders discussed ways to organise the protest as a political movement focused on the supremacy of the Constitution, democratic and provincial rights, and what they described as protection of the public mandate.
The PTI has announced a nationwide protest, including a long march towards Islamabad, demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan and calling for constitutional supremacy.
The meeting came a day after the TTAP opposition alliance assured the PTI of its support for the protest. Afridi, Achakzai and Abbas had also met on Thursday to discuss preparations for the September 27 mobilisation.
The planned protest faces opposition from the federal government and legal restrictions. The Islamabad High Court has ruled that activities resulting in violations of citizens’ fundamental rights would breach the Constitution.
A petition filed against the PTI’s planned gatherings argued that the protest could disrupt daily life, traffic and business activities in the capital.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday that the government would prevent anyone from marching towards Islamabad “in every possible way”. He also warned of contempt of court proceedings against those who violated the IHC ruling.
The administrations of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have already begun preparations to deal with the planned march, including arranging containers, seeking additional security personnel and procuring anti-riot equipment.
Afridi has also visited Sindh and Punjab as part of efforts to mobilise supporters for the protest.
During his Punjab visit, Afridi alleged that authorities had abducted him in Lahore and later left him by the roadside. He also claimed that an attempt had been made to target him.
The Punjab government rejected his allegations of arrest, while Wazirabad police said the man identified by Afridi was a police constable assigned to provide security for the KP chief minister.