PESHAWAR – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Friday launched a membership drive for the ‘Imran Khan Release Peace Movement’, announcing that the campaign would later be expanded nationwide.
Read More: PTI warns of nationwide movement for Imran’s release
Addressing a gathering at the PTI provincial secretariat, Afridi said 172 registration camps would be set up across the province to mobilise supporters. The event was attended by senior party leaders, including PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan and other central and provincial figures.
میرے پاکستانیو آج عمران خان کی رہائی تحریک کا باقاعدہ آغاز ہوچکا ہے۔پہلے میں، پھر پارٹی چیرمین اور جنرل سیکرٹری اور پھر پارٹی عہدیداران، صوبائی و وفاقی پارلیمینٹیرئنز حلف دینگے کہ ہم عمران خان کا نہ ساتھ چھوڑیں گے اور نہ ان سے غداری کرینگے اس کے بعد جتنی ممبرشپ ہوگی ان کا حلف لیا… pic.twitter.com/gjWpW7CiDB
— PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (@PTIKPOfficial) March 27, 2026
The chief minister also announced plans to convene a national lawyers’ jirga at Nishtar Hall in Peshawar on April 10, followed by similar engagements with farmers, labourers and other segments of society to broaden the movement’s outreach.
Afridi alleged that PTI founder Imran Khan and his spouse were being held unlawfully, claiming their cases had not been heard for over a year. He termed the legal proceedings politically motivated and raised concerns about the state of the justice system.
He further said that all constitutional and legal avenues had been exhausted to secure a meeting with Imran Khan, including formal requests to the federal government and judicial authorities. However, he claimed these efforts yielded no response.
Highlighting what he described as restrictions on democratic space, Afridi pointed to arrests of political workers, barriers on movement and limitations placed on elected representatives. He emphasised that the Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful protest and said the movement would remain non-violent.
The chief minister also criticised what he called a “double standard” in governance, alleging unequal treatment of political leaders across provinces.
Read More: KP CM Afridi unveils ‘Imran Khan Release Force’
He urged party workers to prepare for a sustained and disciplined campaign, stating that the movement was not just political but related to the country’s democratic future.