Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Wednesday declared that the ongoing PTI sit-in is not an act of agitation but a movement, which will persist until Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan issues the final call.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, he addressed a press conference and said PTI remains committed to peaceful protests, even in the face of severe repression.
"We are peace-loving and law-abiding people. Despite heavy shelling and physical torture, we exercised restraint," he remarked.
The chief minister condemned the alleged state brutality against PTI supporters, claiming that bullets were fired at peaceful protestors, leading to hundreds being injured, many killed, and thousands arrested.
He further criticised the lack of justice for PTI and its leaders, including the imprisonment of Imran Khan and his wife. "For two and a half years, our party has faced oppression, yet courts have not provided us relief. If a chief minister cannot get justice, what hope does a common citizen have?" he questioned.
Gandapur praised PTI workers for their resilience and announced a compensation package of Rs 10 million for the families of deceased workers. He also stated that FIRs for violence against PTI workers would be filed under his name.
The chief minister emphasised that the movement is a fight for fundamental rights and freedom. "This province knows how to claim its rights and mandate. The people cannot be enslaved by force," he declared.
Gandapur vowed to file a petition personally on behalf of PTI and pledged that the movement would continue unabated under Imran Khan's leadership.