Peshawar: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur slammed the federal government and its allies and said peaceful protest is a constitutional right. He stated that the intention is not to engage in conflict or harm anyone. A statement from the Chief Minister’s House on Wednesday said Gandapur met Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members from all four regions of the province. Discussions focused on organizing preparations for a peaceful protest scheduled for October 4 in Islamabad, with strategies finalized to ensure maximum participation. During the meeting, party chairmen and elected representatives were assigned the responsibility of mobilizing more people for the protest. Gandapur said efforts should be made to involve as many workers and citizens as possible to participate in a peaceful protest. He stressed that the K-P convoys will reach Islamabad in an organized manner, with party leaders taking charge of these convoys. He urged the leaders to ensure discipline among the participants and stick to the agreed plan and reiterated that they would exercise their democratic right peacefully without any intention of harming anyone. Observing that they were not seeking confrontation, Gandapur remarked that the police were their brothers and any harm to them would be a loss for all. He accused the federal government of using covert tactics to block their path. He expressed that the public perceives the government’s actions and measures as flawed and accuses it of trying to weaken the PTI under the guise of constitutional changes. The Chief Minister admitted that the previous protest suffered from poor planning, which necessitated the retreat. He noted that party workers and leaders lack quality masks and protective gear, but assured that this time the convoys will be preceded by a specialized and trained team.
