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Sohail Afridi Offers Talks to Federal Government
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has offered talks to the federal government ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned march towards Islamabad, saying there is still time to resolve the issues through negotiations.
The offer came a day after Afridi announced that PTI’s Islamabad long march, originally scheduled for September 27, had been postponed to October 4.
CM Calls for Dialogue Before March
Speaking informally to senior journalists in Peshawar, Afridi said negotiations should take place before the long march if the outstanding issues were to be resolved through dialogue.
He said the delay in the march was intended to give the federal government additional time for discussions and a possible agreement.
PTI Demands Release and Medical Treatment for Imran Khan
The PTI is preparing for the October 4 march while demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan and what the party describes as the restoration of constitutional supremacy.
Afridi also discussed Khan’s medical treatment, saying his sisters should be allowed to be involved and that he should receive treatment at Shifa Hospital in Islamabad from his own medical team.
‘Seven Days’ for Negotiations
Afridi said those seeking contact still had seven days to resolve the matter through negotiations before the march begins.
He warned that the situation could change once the protesters set out on October 4, saying there would be no turning back after the march begins.
March Postponed to October 4
On Friday, Afridi announced that PTI’s political committee had unanimously agreed to postpone the march from September 27 to October 4. The march is scheduled to depart from Peshawar.
The decision followed discussions within the party over the timing and arrangements for the protest.
Afridi Invites Fazlur Rehman
The KP chief minister also invited Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to join the political movement, saying he would be welcomed if he decided to participate.
PTI Maintains Political Position
Afridi said PTI workers were peaceful and political, while alleging that the government was seeking to create circumstances similar to those surrounding the May 9 events and register cases against party workers. These are allegations made by the PTI and were not independently established in the reports cited here.
The revised October 4 date now provides a period for possible negotiations between the federal government and PTI before the planned march.
