Ghareeda Farooqi Says KP CM’s Warning Signals Escalation Amid Talks Offer

ISLAMABAD:Senior journalist Ghareeda Farooqi has described Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s warning that people would take to the streets if he were removed from office as the KP version of the statement, “If I am removed, I will become dangerous.”

In a post on X, Farooqi said Afridi had simultaneously offered negotiations to the federal government. She questioned why talks should be delayed for seven days, saying negotiations could begin immediately if both sides intended to resolve the matter through dialogue.

Farooqi further claimed that the political situation had moved beyond the point where negotiations could easily resolve the dispute. She had earlier reported that, in her assessment, the KP government had become a concern for provincial and national security.

She also suggested that Afridi’s government might not continue for much longer, while describing his latest statements and meeting with journalists as an attempt to communicate his position.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said he would become “more dangerous” if he were disqualified and claimed that people would take to the streets, potentially making it impossible for his government to continue.

Speaking to journalists at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, Afridi said preparations for the PTI long march were complete, with a large number of vehicles and motorcycles arranged for the event.

He warned that if any attempt was made against his government, PTI workers and supporters would be ready to take to the streets within 24 hours.

Regarding the possibility of his disqualification, Afridi said that if he were removed from office or disqualified, PTI founder Imran Khan would decide who should replace him as chief minister.

Afridi also gave the federal government a seven-day deadline for negotiations, saying that the decision to march towards Islamabad on October 4 was final.

He said the September 27 march had been postponed as part of a strategy, but the October 4 march would only end after what he described as the achievement of “true freedom.”

Afridi said that if the federal government wanted to resolve the issue through dialogue and understanding, it should do so within seven days. He added that the confrontation between the federal government and the establishment was creating space for “third forces and political pawns” to benefit from the situation.

Ghareeda Farooqi’s remarks constitute her political assessment, while Afridi’s statements reflect his stated position and demands ahead of the proposed October 4 march.