Protest movement will continue until rulers come to table after recognising opposition as equal partner, says Afridi
LAHORE:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership said the party will move toward dialogue with the government only after securing a “level playing field” through sustained street protests, rejecting the notion of entering talks from a position of weakness.
The stance was outlined by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja during a series of meetings in Lahore, where party leaders gathered to launch a fresh street movement on the directives of jailed party founder Imran Khan.
Speaking to journalists in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority, Afridi said reconciliation without resistance is not an option. “We will be at a loss if we enter into dialogue without resistance,” he said. “The protest movement will continue until the rulers come to the table after recognising the opposition as an equal partner.”
Addressing criticism that repeated protests had failed to deliver tangible results, the chief minister said the party will avoid making tall claims and focus on “practical work” aimed at producing outcomes.
Raja echoed the position, saying no political party could afford to move into a “blind alley.” He accused the government of attempting to silence PTI on issues it considers fundamental, including alleged election irregularities, the continued incarceration of Imran Khan, and what the party calls institutional interference in politics and journalism.
“If we are told not to speak on these matters, what space is left for politics?” Raja asked. He said dialogue could only begin once basic principles were agreed upon, warning that the party would otherwise continue to mobilise supporters on the streets.
Following the meeting, Afridi attempted to visit the families of jailed PTI leaders, including former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema and lawyer Hassan Niazi. He told reporters that he was stopped from entering the Lahore cantonment area, which he said had been declared a no-go zone.
“I was told I was not permitted to enter,” Afridi said, questioning the restriction and demanding that the reasons be provided in writing. He said he even offered to proceed without his security detail but was still denied access.
Raja described the treatment as inappropriate, saying the Punjab government should not have acted so harshly toward the incumbent provincial chief minister.
Later in the day, Afridi met Hassan Niazi’s mother, Noreen Khan, and other family members at the residence of Punjab Assembly member Zamirul Hassan Bhatti. During the meeting, Afridi expressed solidarity with the families of jailed PTI leaders and offered prayers for the early release of political detainees. Participants stressed the importance of legal justice, restraint, and dialogue, while also calling for respect for the human rights of prisoners.
The developments came days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered talks with the opposition, while maintaining that any dialogue would be limited to what he described as “legitimate matters.”
For now, PTI leaders say the path to negotiations runs through public mobilisation, not quiet engagement, signalling that political tensions are likely to persist in the near term.
