KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi says PTI will continue street protests and reject dialogue until the government accepts opposition demands and authority
Lahore
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will not hold talks with the government without first launching street protests, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Monday. He made the statement after spending three days in Lahore mobilising party workers amid internal divisions within PTI.
Afridi said sections of the party were pushing for dialogue, while others were following jailed founder Imran Khan’s call for street agitation. He said he had been tasked with leading the protest movement and arrived in Lahore with ministers and lawmakers to begin the campaign.
Afridi said talks without resistance would weaken the party’s position. He said protests would continue until the government recognised the opposition as an equal partner. Responding to criticism over past protests, he said PTI would focus on practical action instead of big claims.
Afridi questioned the government’s offer of dialogue, saying real talks were possible only if people with actual power were involved. He said he could not align with the establishment due to policy differences and claimed the current rulers had failed to take Pakistan forward.
He accused the ruling parties of corruption and poor economic management, adding that protests would not be limited to Islamabad or fixed timelines. He also announced plans to take the movement to Karachi.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said dialogue could begin only after agreement on basic principles. He said the government wanted PTI to stay silent on alleged election fraud, Imran Khan’s detention, and institutional interference.
After the media talk, Afridi was stopped from entering Lahore cantonment, where he planned to meet families of jailed party leaders. He said the area was declared a no-go zone and criticised the Punjab government’s conduct.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari dismissed PTI’s protests, saying they failed to attract public support. She accused PTI of exaggeration on social media and urged its leaders to focus on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s issues instead of disrupting Lahore’s peace.
