KP CM Sohail Afridi Warns of Public Reaction if He Is Disqualified

PESHAWAR:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has warned that his possible disqualification or removal from office could trigger protests, saying Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers would take to the streets and that Imran Khan would decide his replacement.

Speaking to senior journalists at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, Afridi said preparations for the PTI’s long march towards Islamabad had been completed, with a large number of vehicles and motorcycles arranged for the mobilisation.

He said that if the government attempted what he described as any “misadventure,” PTI workers would be ready to take to the streets within 24 hours.

Afridi reiterated that the PTI’s long march, originally scheduled for September 27, had been postponed to October 4 as part of the party’s political strategy. The PTI political committee announced that the march would now depart from Peshawar on October 4.

The chief minister gave the federal government seven days to resolve the political dispute through negotiations, saying the October 4 march would proceed unless an understanding was reached.

“If the federal government wants to resolve the issue through mutual understanding and negotiations, it should do so within seven days,” Afridi said. He added that the dispute between his side and the establishment was benefiting what he described as “third forces” and political actors.

Afridi also addressed the possibility of his disqualification. He said that if he were removed from office or disqualified, Imran Khan would personally decide who would replace him as chief minister. He warned that such a move could result in a public reaction and said his political objectives were more important to him than retaining his position.

The PTI leader rejected characterisations of his party as an armed group, saying its members were political workers. He also alleged that the federal information minister had described him as a commander of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its “B team.” These were Afridi’s allegations and were not independently established in the reports reviewed.

Afridi further warned against the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or any move to disqualify him, describing such actions as unconstitutional. He used historical references to Tipu Sultan and Bahadur Shah Zafar while describing how he would respond to political pressure.

On the provincial government’s economic performance, Afridi claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s revenue had increased from Rs64 billion to Rs150 billion and said he intended to raise it to Rs200 billion.

Recent reporting by *Dawn*, however, put the province’s own-source revenue at Rs150.84 billion and said the official target for the current financial year was Rs182 billion. Afridi had previously said the province would seek to raise revenue collection to Rs200 billion.

Afridi also highlighted development projects in the province, saying modern 1,000-bed hospitals were being constructed in Peshawar and Malakand.

He blamed tensions with Afghanistan and the closure of border crossings for causing billions of rupees in annual economic losses to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He called for negotiations with the Afghan government through a national jirga to address the issue.

The PTI’s October 4 march is being planned amid heightened political tensions between the party and the federal government. The party has said the postponement from September 27 was a strategic decision, while Afridi has continued to publicly offer negotiations alongside his warnings about mobilisation.