Staging protests a legal and constitutional right, says KP CM ahead of PTI's Sept 27 long march

Staging protests a legal and constitutional right, notes KP CM ahead of PTI's Sept 27 long march.

Key points

• News Desk Published September 23, 2026 Updated September 23, 2026 07: 23pm.
• CM Afridi further alleged that Minister for Public Health Engineering Fazal Shakoor was abducted by plainclothes individuals.
• He alleged that an assassination attempt was created on Communications and Works Minister Shakil Khan.
• Earlier this week, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had cautioned the PTI against its long march, urging the party to refrain from proceeding with the protest.
• "The rest of Pakistan will remain open, but no one will be able to enter or leave KP, " he remarked.

News Desk Published September 23, 2026 Updated September 23, 2026 07: 23pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Ahead of the PTI's planned long march to Islamabad on Sept 27, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi remarked on Wednesday that staging a protest was a legal and constitutional right.

Addressing a cabinet session in Peshawar, CM Afridi alleged that for the past three to four days, "plainclothes individuals" had been targeting PTI workers, office-bearers and elected representatives.

He alleged that an assassination attempt was created on Communications and Works Minister Shakil Khan. This person additionally managed to evade an attempt to abduct him.

CM Afridi further alleged that Minister for Public Health Engineering Fazal Shakoor was abducted by plainclothes individuals. This person additionally opened fire on his car.

"If a minister, a provincial cabinet member is not safe from these thugs, then what about the common man?" he asked. The chief minister emphasised that the treatment being meted out to provincial cabinet members was "unacceptable".

"These individuals are afraid of the power of the residents. No sane person would take such measures, " he asserted.

He additionally assailed PML-N's Rana Sanaullah's noted remarks labelling the individuals of KP as terrorists and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz remarks regarding the terror threat from other provinces.

He remarked that from today, the province would be cut off from the rest of Pakistan and all routes to it would be closed.

"What should we create of cutting KP off from the rest of Pakistan and closing all routes? Is there a conspiracy underway? Is an attempt being created to repeat the East Pakistan tragedy?" he asked.

"Whatever conspiracy is being hatched, and whoever is behind it, our clear message to them is: Pakistan belongs to us, " the chief minister remarked. He asserted that KP was and will continue to be a part of Pakistan.

"Goons dressed in plain clothes are intimidating and threatening our bureaucracy, police, deputy commissioners and district police officers, " he further alleged.

Meanwhile, the chief minister advised that the bureaucracy, police, deputy commissioners and district police officers to not to be afraid.

"If the provincial government is not asking you to do anything wrong, do not obey unlawful orders from any institution or department, " he remarked.

"Protesting is everyone's legal and constitutional right. We will stage a peaceful protest since we are not being heard anywhere. The Constitution allows us to hold peaceful protests, and we will protest at all cost, " he stated.

"As long as the right to peaceful protest exists in the Constitution, we will continue to hold peaceful protests, " CM Afridi maintained.

"My message to the people of KP and the entire Pakistan is: do not panic, do not be afraid, " he remarked.

Preparations in the Rawalpindi Division and the federal capital territory to maintain security and accord with any emergency situation are in full swing in light of the potential long march by the PTI and other protests in Islamabad.

Notably, the interior minister vowed the administration will not "leave any loopholes" in its response if the party went ahead with the protest.

Taken together, the developments around staging protests a legal and constitutional right, says KP CM ahead of point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.