Pressure, Threats and Fear Cannot Stop Our Peaceful Constitutional Struggle, Sohail Afridi
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has strongly reacted to threats allegedly issued by the federal government to stop protests, saying that pressure, threats and fear cannot prevent the party from pursuing its peaceful and constitutional struggle.
In a message posted on social media platform X, Afridi said the September 27 long march was a peaceful, democratic and constitutional struggle. He said every citizen of Pakistan had the right to raise their voice for fundamental rights and peaceful protest within the framework of the Constitution.
He said PTI would exercise this constitutional and democratic right to convey the voice of the people to the relevant institutions.
Criticising federal ministers over what he described as threatening statements, Afridi said such remarks by ministers who, in his words, had come to power by suppressing the public mandate were a matter of serious concern for any democratic society.
Instead of suppressing dissent or intimidating citizens, he urged the government to listen to public demands, respect constitutional rights and seek solutions to political issues through serious dialogue, law and democratic processes rather than confrontation.
ہمارا 27 ستمبر کا لانگ مارچ ایک پُرامن، جمہوری اور آئینی جدوجہد ہے۔ پاکستان کے ہر شہری کو آئین اور قانون کے دائرے میں رہتے ہوئے اپنے بنیادی حقوق کے لیے پُرامن طور پر آواز بلند کرنے اور اجتماع کرنے کا حق حاصل ہے۔ ہم اسی آئینی حق کو استعمال کرتے ہوئے اپنی آواز عوام اور متعلقہ…
— Sohail Afridi (@SohailAfridiISF) September 18, 2026
The PTI leader said citizens across the country were demanding the restoration of the Constitution in its original form, the immediate release of PTI founder Imran Khan and other political prisoners whom he described as unjustly detained, as well as freedom of the press and constitutional liberties.
He added that young people were seeking employment, workers were demanding their economic rights, and farmers were seeking fair compensation for their labour. According to Afridi, such demands should be addressed through effective governance rather than threats.
Afridi also made it clear to the government and security institutions that PTI did not seek confrontation and that its September 27 protest would remain within constitutional limits.
However, he said no pressure, threat or fear could prevent PTI from continuing its peaceful struggle.
He concluded his message by quoting the well-known verse: “Come, tyrant, let us test our skills; you test your arrows, we shall test our courage.”
