Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has issued a 90-day ultimatum to the government, vowing that either the party would achieve its objectives of getting its Founder Imran Khan freed or its leaders would leave politics altogether.
Addressing a gathering of the PTI parliamentary party at the farmhouse of former Senate deputy chairman Mirza Muhammad Khan Afridi, located near Jati Umrah, Gandapur made it clear that the time for silence was over.
“Either it's you or us who'll survive. Either we achieve our goal, or we leave politics,” he declared, emphasizing that his party would no longer tolerate what he termed as “state-sponsored oppression.”
The KP CM also threatened that if the suspended PTI MPAs are not reinstated, the party's government would suspend all of the ruling parties' members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "I will dismiss all of them who have become chairmen in the opposition."
He further quoted the party founder, Imran Khan, as saying that he was ready for negotiations. “The PTI founder has asked for proof that he hatched any conspiracies, and he will accept any punishment that's decided.”
'Don’t test our tolerance'
Gandapur warned state authorities against pushing the party too far, saying, “We have endured a lot, but you will not tolerate it. Don’t test our tolerance. If I’m unlawfully killed, I won’t die quietly -- I’ll fight back.”
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He reiterated that peaceful political activity is a constitutional right, and questioned ongoing police crackdowns on PTI workers. “In which law is it written that you start punishing people for things that are not even crimes?” he asked. "It will not go on like this. I will respond. If you shoot me, be ready, you may get shot too."
He also claimed that 14 of his workers had been martyred, and 70 others had been shot, while homes were raided and privacy violated. “Our workers' homes were broken into, their dignity trampled. How long will this continue?” he asked.
Call for action and unity
Gandapur urged the PTI leadership to come up with a “practical and realistic plan of action” suited to the current political climate. “This is not the time to impose decisions. Let every member contribute however they can, within their capacity,” he said, promoting an inclusive and decentralized strategy.
He also pointed to Pakistan’s economic crisis, highlighting the Rs76 trillion debt burden, and stated that continued silence would only lead to further national deterioration. “If we don’t hold institutions, governments, and the system accountable, our destination is more debt and more slavery,” he said.
Gandapur remarked that nations that endured oppression silently could not bring about change. "If you keep getting beaten without responding, there will be no revolution -- you must stand up.”
'Islam gives us right to respond'
The CM invoked Islamic principles in his call to resist what he called injustice. “If the state doesn’t understand, we must explain that Islam gives us the right to respond. We are not seeking violence - we are demanding justice and representation.”
He concluded his address by reminding party members that their mission is constitutional and democratic: “We’re carrying the message of peace, love, and the rule of law. But if the state forces us to respond, we will.”
Ali Muhammad Khan: 'Lahore is political Kaaba of Pakistan'
Also speaking at the gathering, PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan echoed Gandapur’s sentiments, stating that the current crisis was not the first time PTI’s mandate had been challenged.
“Our mandate was stolen in 2013, and in 2018 a system was created to reduce our majority,” he claimed.
Ali Muhammad Khan also said the PTI founder is being punished not for political reasons, but for “guarding the finality of Prophethood.” He added that the party’s mission is not just to gain power but to “fix the country.”
He called Lahore “the political Kaaba of Pakistan,” describing it as the city from which transformative movements begin. “If we are united here, we can energize the entire country,” he said.
PTI movement starts
Later, addressing the gathering, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar reiterated that there was no rally in Lahore — it was merely a meeting of the parliamentary party. He claimed that the people continued to support the ideology of the PTI founder.
"The PTI founder is being held in political captivity. Stop placing more obstacles in the path of democracy — make it easier, not harder. How long will the leader of such a major political party remain behind bars?" he questioned the state.
The PTI leader said Imran Khan had declared the beginning of the party's protest movement that is set to reach its peak on August 5. "Both of his sons will also take part in this movement. If they do, it is their democratic right — they will not only participate, they will lead."
