ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Monday announced that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will hold a public gathering in Peshawar on September 27.
During a media briefing outside Adiala Jail, the chief minister accused authorities of attempting to fracture his party by preventing meetings with its imprisoned leader, Imran Khan, labeling it a deliberate conspiracy against the PTI.
Gandapur asserted that certain party members were being manipulated by this agenda, while emphasising that the party founder’s clear directive was to shift focus from individuals to the broader movement for genuine freedom and his release.
Gandapur’s vehicle was stopped at the Gorakhpur checkpoint, just outside the prison. The chief minister, accompanied by provincial cabinet members and Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, first held discussions with police officials before addressing journalists. He clarified that formal cabinet meetings would not be convened at the jail premises, describing such arrangements as unconventional. He further noted that the Punjab government had disclaimed any role in restricting access to Imran Khan, maintaining they could only control physical access points.
Gandapur detailed how authorities systematically prolong waiting periods for meetings, causing delays of four to five hours. “My time would be better spent serving in flood-affected regions rather than waiting here,” he stated, while cautioning against social media misinformation regarding the situation.
The chief minister alleged that the underlying objective of these restrictions was to sow discord within PTI ranks, claiming people in power actively sought to fragment the party. “Even during critical legislative processes involving the mining and budget bills, we were denied consultation. Direct access to Imran Khan would ensure transparency and eliminate public confusion,” he argued.
Gandapur demanded that the authorities clarify who exactly was pressuring judges to avoid hearing cases that he characterised as entirely baseless against party leadership. He reiterated that despite Imran Khan’s enduring popularity, the authorities continued to deny him visitation rights.
“Regular meetings would enable Imran Khan to stay informed and provide political guidance based on his vision. This systematic obstruction forms part of the conspiracy to dismantle party unity,” he charged.
The chief minister maintained that proper judicial review would inevitably result in bail grants due to the frivolous nature of charges, asserting that “justice delayed through such tactics constitutes justice denied.”
In a heated moment, Gandapur posed a rhetorical question: “Should I storm the jail facilities? I possess the capability—but what would that achieve? They already deploy personnel to monitor every meeting.”
He condemned PMLN for, what he called, opportunistic behaviour at martyrs’ funerals, accusing the rival party of perpetual politicisation. “Our democratic institutions have become facades. Rather than ceremonial attendance at funerals, we need policy reforms to prevent further sacrifices,” he declared.
Gandapur credited PTI’s October 4 protests with preventing Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s judicial extension, claiming this as a significant achievement.
While acknowledging social media’s supportive role during elections, he emphasised that actual voting occurred at polling stations. “Unsubstantiated allegations reflect moral decline. When the PTI founder issued his final march call, where were the masses?” he questioned.
The chief minister dismissed digital activism as insufficient for revolutionary change, stating that liberation struggles aren’t won through vlogs and fake accounts. Theatrical tactics keep our leader imprisoned. Authentic resistance requires different methods. His theatrical demonstration of hand-twisting to mimic dishonest jockeys drew laughter from PTI legislators, as he added: “Revolutions demand more than armchair activism.”
Addressing internal strife, Gandapur disavowed any involvement in factional formations within the party, urging unity and challenging critics to provide evidence of his alleged role in creating divisions.
He concluded by questioning the turnout for August protests, noting: “Mere rhetoric changes nothing. Social media clicks don’t spark revolutions. If they did, our founder wouldn’t be incarcerated.”
Imran’s sister Aleema Khan claimed that court proceedings were being conducted hastily to convict her brother in the Toshakhana-II case. She alleged that time was being wasted by presenting false witnesses against the PTI founder in the Toshakhana-II case, whereas the punishment for a false witness is seven years in prison.
Aleema Khan claimed that preparations are being made to sentence the former prime minister in another case, as the proceedings inside the jail are being carried out with extraordinary haste, and all this is being done with that aim in mind.
She contended that Imran Khan himself is well aware that the verdict will go against him and he will be sentenced again. She said that in the current circumstances, there is no hope of justice being delivered.
Aleema also noted that her brother is not being allowed to talk to children. Sharing the PTI founder’s message, she said that all MNAs and MPAs of KP should sit with CM Ali Amin Gandapur and the head of the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, and go to Afghanistan with a delegation.
She added that Imran emphasised that they will face cases in the courts legally, as their mandate was stolen, the party was suppressed, and the decision to resign from the parliamentary committees was taken after giving enough time to the illegitimate regime, as the party pursued a legal path.
Aleema Khan said that Imran Khan has given a message that the Commonwealth Observer Group report stated that elections were stolen in Pakistan, while the punishment for vote theft in Pakistan falls under Article 6.
She quoted him as saying that the judiciary was ‘brought under their control’ by the 26th Amendment, the press conference of former Commissioner Rawalpindi Liaquat Ali Chatha is on record, and judges who stand with the truth are heroes of the nation.
According to Aleema Khan, Imran Khan said that a person crushed the PTI to extend his power. She said her brother also spoke about the KP government and stated that it is necessary to establish peace in the province and improve governance there.
She said that the party founder has directed that an immediate rally be held in Peshawar and everyone be invited, as this government is an illegitimate government, formed by stealing their mandate.
Refusing to speak directly to media representatives, she said that she will not speak in front of the mainstream media because ‘planted people’ are being sent there who misbehave and try to spoil the atmosphere; such scenes infuriate the workers and then lead to more arrests.
The sister of the PTI founder also claimed that new cases are being registered against her and party workers to increase the pressure. She noted that for the last two years, the media has been covering events outside Adiala Jail, and there has never been any misbehaviour, but now such steps are being deliberately taken to make the situation tense.