PESHAWAR – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said Saturday that preparations for the October 4 march are complete, adding that if any “misadventure” is attempted before the march, the party can mobilise people within 24 hours.
The Chief Minister was speaking informally with senior journalists at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar. CM Sohail Afridi said the party leadership was fully aligned on the long march and there should be no ambiguity on this point.
“We are fully prepared. We will set out on October 4 and will not return without achieving our objective,” he said. He said the demands of the movement were clear, legitimate and had already been articulated at the August 5 public gathering. The demands, he said, were firmly within the framework of the Constitution and law and reflected a struggle against oppression and injustice.
The chief minister said that over the past nine months, all constitutional and democratic avenues had been pursued, including seeking implementation of court orders concerning Imran Khan’s medical treatment and meetings with him, as well as seeking hearings of his cases strictly on merit. However, he said, these efforts had not yielded a response, leaving protest as the last constitutional and democratic option. “Seven days still remain. If they are serious, they should accept our demands,” he said.
“The question is why was there no dialogue during the 52 days following the August 5th gathering, when the call for the October 27 long march was announced?” He alleged that instead of resolving the matter through dialogue, the federal government was seeking to further deteriorate relations between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the establishment in order to prolong their illegitimate government, while further loot Pakistan’s exchequer, exacerbate political instability and economic hardship.
The Chief Minister said his visits to various districts of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had given him a clear sense of growing public anger and frustration. He said this sentiment was also being recognised by political opponents, which, explained their growing apprehension. Sohail Afridi reiterated that people would participate in the march and would not return without securing their demands. He stressed that the participants were not an armed group but were committed to a peaceful struggle.
The Chief Minister stated unequivocally: “I will not retreat even an inch from my position. Nothing can come between me and my objective.” Responding to a question, the Chief Minister said that while the political struggle continued, his government remained fully focused on governance, development and public service. He said he had sacrificed his own rest and personal comfort but had made no compromise on the affairs of government or the delivery of public services.
Referring to the provincial government’s reform and development measures, Sohail Afridi said stronger fiscal discipline and transparency measures were producing tangible results. During the last financial year, he said, the province collected Rs150 billion in revenue against a target of Rs130 billion, without imposing any additional taxes. For the current financial year, the revenue target has been set at Rs180 billion, while the government expects collections to reach Rs200 billion.
He said that while the federal government had failed to meet its own revenue collection targets, efforts were being made to create a negative perception regarding the financial performance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. “The facts speak for themselves. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has exceeded its revenue target without imposing additional taxes,” he said.
The Chief Minister said multiple major development projects were underway across the province. In Peshawar, implementation had commenced on a Rs200 billion rehabilitation plan aimed at addressing the city’s longstanding infrastructure and urban challenges. All the projects are fully funded and are being completed within record time. Once implemented, he said, the plan would significantly transform the city’s infrastructure and overall urban landscape. He said work was also progressing on the Outer Ring Road, which would help address Peshawar’s traffic challenges on a sustainable basis.On the health sector, Sohail Afridi said major projects were being undertaken to establish new hospitals in Peshawar and other selected regions, taking into account the province’s future healthcare requirements and the need to expand access to quality medical services.
On transparency, the Chief Minister said the government had taken measures to close avenues for corruption in development contracts and related processes. “Merit and transparency are being ensured at every level so that public resources are utilised effectively and development projects deliver their intended outcomes efficiently,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the purpose of highlighting these measures was to make clear that his government was not focused solely on political activity but remained fully engaged in governance and was working around the clock to improve service delivery. He expressed confidence that the current financial year would prove to be a year of peace, development and prosperity for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Chief Minister said those questioning governance in the province often applied a different standard of assessment and relied on disinformation. He said the provincial government had increased revenue collection by billions of rupees through institutional reforms, improved financial management and greater fiscal discipline, while the federal government had failed to achieve its own revenue targets.
He also maintained that IMF report had identified Rs5.3 trillion in corruption linked to the federal government. This, he said, raised serious questions about the standards of financial governance being applied at the federal level. He further criticised the federal government’s economic management, arguing that despite five successive federal budgets, the country’s economic difficulties continued to deepen.
Speaking about law and order, the Chief Minister said his government was fully committed to restoring peace and was taking concrete measures in this regard. “Peace comes first. Without peace, the objective of sustainable development cannot be achieved,” he said.
Sohail Afridi said the Provincial Action Plan presented by his government had not been implemented, maintaining that the authorities responsible for national policy were not demonstrating sufficient seriousness towards peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the closure of the Afghanistan border was also causing significant economic losses to the province, with the provincial government estimated to be losing around Rs10 billion annually, while communities and businesses dependent on cross-border trade were facing severe difficulties.
Referring to past efforts to restore peace, the Chief Minister said previous initiatives had failed because the provincial government had not been adequately represented in the decision-making process. “Sustainable peace cannot be achieved through policies designed and implemented behind closed doors,” he said.
The Chief Minister also criticised recent political statements from Punjab Chief Minister, in which she stated that there is no threat from India but from the three smaller provinces of Pakistan. He argued that such statements were inconsistent with the national security narrative and could deepen political and provincial divisions. He called for greater responsibility in public discourse and stressed the need for policies that strengthen national cohesion, peace and stability.
