Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has characterized the newly initiated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) agitation against the current government as “do or die,” asserting that the anti-government protest campaign will determine the future direction of the party. “We have to decide within 90 days whether to continue engaging in politics or not. The [protest] movement will be a matter of ‘do or die’,” Gandapur stated during a press conference in Lahore, alongside Salman Akram Raja and others.
The outspoken politician’s comments follow a day after the former ruling party officially launched its anti-government drive, scheduled to reach its “peak” by August 5, subsequent to a high-level meeting in the provincial capital. Among other objectives, the protest movement is aimed at securing the freedom of party founder Imran Khan, who will complete two years in incarceration on August 5.
The latest phase of the anti-government campaign by the Imran Khan-founded party commences months after its discussions with the government stalled concerning the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 riots and the November 2024 Islamabad protest. Since Imran’s removal from the PM’s office via a no-confidence vote in 2022, the PTI has been in conflict with the then Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the current coalition government headed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
In addition to facing political hurdles, the party and its leadership have been embroiled in numerous legal disputes, with Imran and other senior figures such as Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Yasmin Rashid, and Ejaz Chaudhry having been behind bars for a considerable duration. Although these incarcerated leaders have advocated for dialogue, it was previously reported that Imran had explicitly dismissed negotiations as the sole way forward, emphasizing that “there will be no further negotiations with anyone” and that the only path would be street protests.
Expanding on the party’s latest protest movement designed to achieve political objectives, CM Gandapur mentioned it would be spearheaded by the PTI founder, who possesses the party’s decision-making authority.
“We are engaged in a struggle for the citizens of Pakistan. A fascist campaign is being initiated against us once more, and our constitutional right to protest is being infringed upon.”
“We will seek authorization to hold a rally in Lahore tomorrow. Grant me permission to organize a rally in Lahore and provide no amenities,” he said, adding that he would support anyone wishing to hold a rally in KP and would even offer them facilities.
Regarding reconciliation and dialogue, the chief minister noted that Imran was prepared to negotiate but had specified that talks could only be held with “decision makers.” “Negotiate within 90 days and resolve the [prevailing] issues,” the politician remarked. “We are prepared to accept the consequences for the mistake[s] we have made, [but] the law of the land must be applied equally to everyone,” he stressed.
Launching a criticism at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the CM challenged the former to contest an election against his brother. “If Maulana [Fazlur Rehman] cannot win, then he should exit politics,” he stated. These comments refer to the JUI-F chief’s remarks suggesting that a change in the province should emerge from within the PTI—a hint toward the ongoing speculation concerning the possibility of a no-confidence motion against the Gandapur-led government in KP.
