Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur gave yet another fiery speech in his first address to the KP Assembly after an unsuccessful party march towards Islamabad saying, “We have fire and ammunition and we can respond with weapons too,” the Premier of the province said.
PTI supporters on social media are angry and disappointed with party leaders for abandoning workers in D-Chowk when security forces started their crackdown on November 26.
Around midnight, the media reported that Gandapur and Imran Khan’s spouse Bushra Bibi, escaped from the capital and went towards Peshawar.
Since then, PTI has claimed that the security forces opened fire on the protestors leading to multiple fatalities – a claim the government denies.
“Be wary of that day if we reply to fire with fire and to ammunition with ammunition; if we abandon peace slogans because we have weapons too. We can take our rights that way as well. Listen to this as well, we do not care about powerful chairs that you could scare us with the threat of Governor Raj. I challenge you to impose Governor Rule here and see if you can stay here,” he challenged.
After Gandapur led the caravan from KP towards Peshawar for its “final call,” rumours quickly spread that the federal government was mulling imposing Governor’s rule in KP.
Ali Amin Gandapur warned the federal government that PTI cannot be “intimidated” by such actions as tensions grow following the late-night crackdown against protesters in Islamabad.
“Release Imran Khan as soon as possible or we will respond to bullets with bullets and then you will see what happens, and you will be responsible for whatever happens,” warned CM KP in his address to the provincial assembly.
The CM also addressed the soldiers of the Pakistan Army, saying, “You must see your children at home, what would their mother think if this happened to them? Allah bestows rizq to every human being, but what you have done for a job, you will not find peace in this world and in this world! Today I pray to Allah that you [soldiers] may find yourself in such pain and hurt that you become an example in history for Allah’s justice in the world who oppressed the people.”
“Let it not happen that we start feeling comfort in killing you. Release Imran Khan, otherwise we have a meeting, prepare a strategy, if we don’t get rights, we will kill for them,” concluded Gandapur.
Gandapur has been heavily criticised by party workers and followers for the perception that he is in touch with the establishment. Party followers tweeted and posted on other social media platforms against Gandapur, dismayed at him leaving party workers on D Chowk while he and Bushra Bibi got passage to safety.