Imran Khan's party announced protest on Nov 9 in restive KP province

Islamabad, Nov 2 (PTI) Ali Amin Gandapur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and a leader of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party on Saturday announced a rally of supporters in his province on November 9 to prepare for a “final protest call” against the ruling federal government.

Addressing reporters after meeting Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, Gandapur said he was “tired of being peaceful in the face of the state’s heavy-handedness.” “We will go out there and be ready to make the ultimate sacrifice,” Gandapur said, adding, “Despite being peaceful, our workers are beaten and arrested. They are acquitted in court cases only to be re-arrested and charged with new offences. This is intolerable.” He said that soon a comprehensive briefing would be arranged about the November 9 rally to be held in Swabi city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

He said that people from all over Pakistan would be encouraged to attend the rally and once all the details had been finalised he would “issue a final call.” “The final call in this regard means that everyone should tell their families to prepare for the possibility that they might not return home,” Gandapur, who has earlier led two similar protests in Islamabad, said.

He, however, stressed that the PTI would remain peaceful.

“We and our leader (Imran Khan) have been mistreated by the state despite us being peaceful. With the power of the people, we will come out and return home with our rights,” he said.

Gandapur had led a protest last month ahead of the SCO meet in the national capital. The PTI leader had also led another similar protest prior to that, and in both cases, there were clashes between Khan's supporters and the security personnel.

The main demands of the PTI have been Khan's release and transparency in judiciary. PTI SH NPK NPK