Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi warned on Saturday that the public reaction would be “unprecedentedif governor's rule were imposed on the province, saying neither governor's rule nor disqualification was something the government could
afford.” The warning arrived amid heightened political friction over Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s planned long march toward Islamabad.
Political tensions between the federal administration and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa escalated sharply as provincial leadership pushed back against rumored federal interventions. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi addressed senior journalists in Peshawar on Saturday, delivering a direct challenge regarding potential administrative takeovers. Government means nothing to me, I am a soldier of Imran Khan,
Afridi told senior journalists in Peshawar, adding that if he ceased to be the K-P chief minister, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder would decide his replacement. CM Afridi’s statement came amid reports that the federal government was considering governor’s rule or other legal options for the K-P government, as the interior minister warned PTI against a long march towards Islamabad and said the government was consulting the Law Ministry on legal options, including imposing governor’s rule, amid the security situation.
Chief Minister Afridi Defends Imran Khan and Dismisses Personal Office Stakes
The provincial leader made it clear that his loyalty lies with party founder Imran Khan rather than his own political office. Afridi told reporters in Peshawar that he regards his administrative position as secondary to his political allegiance.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi
During today’s media talk, CM Afridi said that if the chair comes between me and my objective, I will kick it away.
He clarified that should he cease to serve as chief minister, the final decision regarding a successor rests entirely with Imran Khan.
Preparations for the Islamabad Long March and Openness to Negotiations
The war of words follows ongoing friction regarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s mobilization plans. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi previously warned the party against marching toward the federal capital while consulting the Law Ministry on potential legal actions, including governor’s rule. Turning to PTI’s planned march, which was initially to start on September 27 but was postponed to October 4, CM Afridi said preparations were complete, and that the convoy would return only upon achieving real freedom.
We are not an armed group, we are political people,
the chief minister said.
Regarding the postponement of the march, the chief minister stated that it had been a matter of strategy.
He noted, however, We have to march no matter what; preparations are complete.
CM Afridi also warned against any “misadventure,saying the party could set out even before October 4 in such an event. Regarding the September 27 call, he noted that PTI had been
approaching every institution for nine monthswithout a hearing, which was why it was forced to issue the call.
There are court orders for weekly meetings,he said, regarding Imran, which he argued were not being implemented. CM Afridi further alleged that the country was being run according to the policy of
one man,whose representative was Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. He added that nothing could be done against the
establishment’s narrative,while also taking aim at the federal information minister's statement, which he said was meant to brand him as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's
B-team.” The statement, CM Afridi said, was pre-planned.
Despite the rigid stance on marching, Afridi maintained that the party remains open to dialogue with authorities, stating, Seven days remain until the long march; if they want to hold talks, they should hold them now.
We were ready for talks yesterday, and we are ready today as well,
the chief minister added. The chief minister’s remarks came a day after he confirmed that PTI’s long march to Islamabad would kick off from Peshawar on October 4 instead of the previous September 27 date. Afridi said all matters had been discussed in the political committee meeting and described the decision to defer the march as part of the party’s political strategy
, further adding that negotiations would continue even after the march. The PTI had announced last month that it would march to Islamabad on September 27 to press for the release of party founder Imran. The party had been preparing a central convoy from K-P, with caravans from other parts of the country expected to join before proceeding towards the federal capital. The federal government warned the party against going ahead with the march.
Border Trade Disruptions and Provincial Policy Concerns
Beyond domestic political confrontations, Afridi addressed regional governance challenges, specifically highlighting economic fallout from ongoing border closures with Afghanistan. Further, the chief minister said unnecessary disputes
were being created with Afghanistan, and that the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border had caused a loss of Rs7 billion this year, against an expected annual revenue of Rs10 billion if the border remained open. Despite restrictions on people coming from there, infiltration is still occurring,
he added, noting that good relations with Afghanistan are in our interest.
The chief minister said the province had prepared and shared a provincial action plan with the relevant authorities, and called for talks with Afghanistan to be held through a national jirga, saying Kabul had no choice but to sit with Pakistan.