Gandapur threatens armed march on Islamabad

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has once again issued a stark warning of an armed march towards Islamabad, vowing that any attack on PTI supporters would be met with force.

Addressing a rally held in Mathra area on the outskirts of Peshawar on Saturday, Gandapur warned, “If a bullet is fired at us, we will respond with bullets and not just fire back but strike with full force.”

The event was organised to demand the release of PTI’s founder currently in custody.

A large number of PTI workers attended the event. The gathering was delayed, with no key figure present at the scheduled start time. Meanwhile, traffic on the Warsak Road was severely disrupted due to the event.

As Gandapur arrived at the venue, fireworks were set off and slogans in support of the party’s detained leader echoed through the rally ground. Despite widespread power outages in surrounding areas, the rally venue had uninterrupted electricity throughout the event.

In his address, Gandapur urged PTI supporters across KP to stay prepared, reiterating his call for resistance. “If they shoot at us, they will have to face bullets in return,” he said, further intensifying the party’s confrontational rhetoric. “We won’t just shoot back, we will hit back hard.”

Other PTI leaders also spoke at the rally, repeating their demand for the release of their party’s founder and warning of escalating protests if their demands were not met.

The chief minister’s remarks have sparked fresh concerns about rising political tensions and the possibility of violent clashes in the federal capital.

Gandapur declared a hardline stance against future crackdowns and called on party workers to mobilise on June 22.

Speaking to a charged crowd, the chief minister condemned Israel’s recent attack on Iran, calling it an act of aggression. “We strongly denounce Israel’s attack on Iran,” he said, expressing solidarity with the Iranian people.

The chief minister warned that the PTI was no longer committed to passive resistance, saying, “We are no longer peaceful. If you hit us with batons, we will strike back. If you fire bullets, we will respond in kind.”

Reaffirming loyalty to the party’s founding leader, Gandapur said, “Whenever the founder of PTI gives a call, the people of KP are always on the front line.”

He vowed that party workers would defend themselves against any violent crackdown. “We will go armed. If bullets are fired at us, we will return fire,” he declared.

Gandapur also announced a nationwide mobilisation plan, urging PTI supporters to come out in their respective tehsils on June 22. “On the 22nd of this month, everyone must take to the streets in their tehsil,” he said.