“We Will Neither Allow May 9 to Happen Again Nor Let Anyone Repeat It,” Says Sohail Afridi
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has officially announced that a protest march will begin from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat on October 4, while launching a strong criticism of the federal government and state policies.
In a statement posted on social media, Afridi said that those who considered themselves the sole authorities on every matter had been wrong in the past and remained wrong today. He added that they would continue to be wrong until they changed their policies.
Afridi said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was the country’s largest and most popular political party, adding that the Constitution guaranteed every citizen the fundamental right to peaceful protest.
He announced that a large public procession would set off from Gandi Chowk, Lakki Marwat, at 1pm on October 4. According to the chief minister, the march would continue until the supremacy of the Constitution and law and the restoration of an independent judiciary were achieved.
Discussing the prospects for negotiations, Afridi maintained that PTI’s demands were entirely constitutional and legal. However, he alleged that PTI founder Imran Khan, his family members and party workers were being deprived of their legitimate legal rights.
ہم پاکستان کی سب سے بڑی اور سب سے مقبول سیاسی جماعت ہیں۔ پاکستان ایک جمہوری ملک ہے، جس کا آئین ہمیں پُرامن احتجاج کا حق دیتا ہے۔
4 اکتوبر کو گنڈی چوک، لکی مروت سے عوام کا سمندر اپنا سفر شروع کرے گا اور پاکستان میں آئین و قانون کی بالادستی اور آزاد عدلیہ کی بحالی تک اپنی جدوجہد…
— Sohail Afridi (@SohailAfridiISF) October 3, 2026
He claimed that those clinging to power feared the people of Pakistan and were creating instability in the country to protect their positions.
Criticism of Counterterrorism Policies
Addressing the issue of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Afridi said military operations against local populations and the displacement of residents could not provide a lasting solution to the problem.
He argued that drone strikes and what he described as “so-called collateral damage” increased terrorism rather than reducing it.
According to Afridi, this position was not limited to PTI but was also reflected in decisions endorsed by representatives of different political parties and sections of society at a provincial assembly jirga.
The chief minister alleged that terrorism had deliberately been allowed to return to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the change of government at the federal level.
He also raised questions about the supply of weapons purchased for the provincial police, asking who was preventing the equipment from reaching law enforcement personnel and why the police had been pushed to a point of frustration.
Afridi further questioned why peace had not been restored in Balochistan despite what he described as alignment between the provincial and federal governments.
May 9 Incident
Referring to the May 9, 2023, incidents, Afridi alleged that the events had been part of a conspiracy and accused those who stole CCTV footage of being responsible for orchestrating them.
“We will neither allow May 9 to happen again nor let anyone do it,” he said, reiterating that such events would not be permitted to recur.
The chief minister’s statement comes amid heightened political tensions and preparations for PTI’s planned protest march on October 4.
