Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur issued a strong warning to the federal government on Thursday, cautioning against the imposition of Governor’s Rule in the province. Addressing the KP Assembly, Gandapur declared that if such a move was made, the provincial government would retaliate, saying, “Fear the day when we retaliate. We have arms and ammunition and can take up arms if needed.”
He further warned that the government should not even consider imposing Governor’s Rule in the province, claiming that if they did, they would not be able to remain in power in KP. “The entire nation and the world saw the massive crowd that confronted fascism. The decision-makers are ignoring the people’s voice and leading the country down the same path that contributed to its division,” Gandapur said. He added that the province would not rest until their objectives were achieved.
Gandapur also detailed several alleged attempts to target him and former First Lady Bushra Bibi while they were traveling back to KP after the crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ‘final call’ march. He accused the Rangers of entering the province illegally with the intention of either killing or kidnapping him. He claimed to have been targeted by small-arms fire and snipers on three separate occasions, particularly near Kulsoom Hospital on Islamabad’s Jinnah Avenue. However, he suggested that security cameras at these locations would be malfunctioning, preventing the collection of evidence.
In a separate press briefing, PTI leaders raised concerns about the government allegedly hiding the true number of casualties from the D-Chowk protest. They claimed that at least 12 PTI protesters had been confirmed dead, with the majority coming from KP, Balochistan, and other regions. PTI’s Sheikh Waqas Akram and Omar Ayub stated that hundreds of party workers were still missing, many of whom were believed to be injured.
The PTI also accused authorities of forcing the families of deceased protesters to sign affidavits, stating that the cause of death would be attributed to an accident rather than gunshots. The government, however, denied the allegations of firing at D-Chowk, despite the reported fatalities. PTI has demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, urging the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Yahya Afridi, to investigate the situation and punish those responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians.
