Photo Credit:: The Dawn KP CM Sohail Afridi visits family members of jailed PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Lahore on Dec 27, 2025. — X/PTIofficial

LAHORE: In a significant political development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sardar Sohail Afridi concluded the second day of his Lahore visit with a powerful address to the legal community, issuing a clarion call for a nationwide “street movement” as directed by imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan.

The visit, framed as a show of solidarity, underscores escalating political tensions and the PTI’s strategy to reignite its public mobilization efforts from its key provincial stronghold.

Photo Credit:: The Dawn KP CM Sohail Afridi visits family members of jailed PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Lahore on Dec 27, 2025. — X/PTIofficial

Addressing members of the prestigious Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), CM Afridi delivered a pointed critique of the current political and judicial climate. He squarely blamed the Punjab government for obstructing his efforts to meet incarcerated PTI leaders at Kot Lakhpat jail, stating his official requests went unanswered.

“The Constitution grants us the right to assembly and protest,” Afridi asserted, urging lawyers to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with PTI workers in what he termed a “struggle for true freedom” and an “independent judiciary.”

He cited personal experience, alleging that orders from three Islamabad High Court judges permitting him to meet Imran Khan were disregarded by a jail superintendent, claiming this rendered courts “useless.”

In a bold afternoon challenge, CM Afridi directly contested claims that the PTI’s influence in Punjab has diminished. He threw down the gauntlet to the ruling PML-N, proposing a direct test of public support.

“Let them choose any ground in Lahore for a rally next week. I will do the same in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Afridi declared. “I will even set up their stage and provide transport in KP. Let’s see who brings a larger crowd.”

This rhetoric signals a shift towards aggressive, direct public engagement as a core party strategy.

A central pillar of Afridi’s Lahore itinerary was demonstrating support for jailed PTI figures. Denied prison meetings, he instead visited the families of key leaders:

• Shah Mahmood Qureshi: Met with the former foreign minister’s son, Zain, and daughter, Meher Banao. Zain later expressed gratitude on social media, stating the visit was a “source of encouragement.”
• Dr. Yasmin Rashid: Consoled her husband, Rashid Nabi Malik.
• Ejaz Chaudhry & Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed: Met with their families, where KP Local Government Minister Meena Khan Afridi asserted that “Punjab stands with Imran Khan.”

Afridi hailed these leaders as sources of courage, enduring “wrongful confinement” and “oppression” while in poor health.

When questioned about resolving issues with the federal government, CM Afridi clarified the division of labor within the opposition. He stated that the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) alliance holds the mandate for dialogue, while his mandate from Imran Khan is to “prepare for a street movement” and take “those preparations to their peak.”

This statement comes amidst a tentative opening for talks, with the TTAP having welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent invitation. However, PTI leaders state they await concrete government action to begin formal negotiations—a point emphasized by PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, who says talks depend on the PTI clarifying its stance.

CM Afridi’s three-day visit is poised to conclude with further symbolic gestures, including planned visits to the residences of PTI leader Hammad Azhar, activists Sanam and Falak Javed, and the family of Ali Bilal (Zille Shah), a party worker who died during protests in 2023.

The visit and the forceful Lahore Bar address mark a strategic pivot by the PTI, leveraging its governance platform in KP to galvanize support nationally and prepare its base for a renewed phase of street-level political activism. The coming weeks will test the resonance of this call and the government’s response to both the mobilization and the offer for dialogue.