Sohail Afridi Vows to Lead PTI March for Imran Khan Release

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has announced that he will personally lead a planned march for the release of the PTI founder, turning the party’s upcoming mobilisation into a major political development. Speaking during a visit to Bannu on Sunday, Afridi urged party workers to intensify preparations for the September 27 march.

The chief minister reached Bannu as part of PTI’s street movement activities and addressed workers about the party’s next phase of political pressure. His remarks placed the province’s leadership directly behind the campaign, signalling that PTI intends to keep the issue of its jailed founder at the centre of national politics.

Afridi told workers that preparations for the march should be carried out in an organised and determined manner. He said the coming movement was not merely a routine protest but an effort the party believes could reshape the country’s political direction and challenge the current order.

In his address, the chief minister also linked the political campaign with the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He argued that peace had existed in the province until 2022, but the situation later deteriorated, blaming the present political setup and those who supported it for the worsening conditions.

Afridi said KP had paid a heavy price for instability over the last two decades and claimed that decisions taken without public consent had damaged peace in the province. He said thousands of people had sacrificed their lives for security and vowed that his government would resist any decision that harmed the rights or interests of the province’s people.

The chief minister praised the KP police, saying the force was standing firm in difficult conditions to protect citizens and restore order. He said the provincial government was backing police through investment in infrastructure, equipment and training, adding that public safety remained central to development and prosperity.

The march call comes against the wider backdrop of PTI’s campaign for the release of its founder, Imran Khan, who has remained a dominant figure in Pakistan’s political debate despite imprisonment. PTI has repeatedly presented his detention as unjust, while the party’s supporters have continued to demand legal relief and political space for their leadership.

For Pakistan’s political landscape, Afridi’s statement is significant because it gives the planned September 27 march a stronger provincial dimension. A sitting chief minister’s direct involvement could raise the stakes for both PTI and the federal government, especially if the party manages to mobilise supporters from KP and other regions.

The coming weeks will show whether PTI can convert Afridi’s announcement into a coordinated national movement or whether authorities move to limit the mobilisation before it reaches Islamabad. For now, the chief minister’s pledge has added fresh momentum to PTI’s campaign and placed the September 27 march firmly back in the headlines.