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LAHORE:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Saturday gave a 90-day ultimatum to those at the helm of the affairs for the release of PTI founder Imran Khan with a do and die warning.

The remarks came during a high-profile gathering in Lahore, where parliamentary committees of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) from Punjab and K-P met to chalk out the party’s future course. The meeting marked what party leaders described as the formal launch of a renewed protest campaign focused on securing Khan’s release and resisting what they see as growing authoritarianism.

“Listen carefully, decision-makers — listen, custodians of the state — our 90 days begin today. on 91st day, it will be either us or you. Enough is enough,” Gandapur said while addressing the joint session while accusing “a handful of powerful individuals and parties” of hijacking the political system, likening them to a “mafia” that had entrenched itself over decades.

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The chief minister led participants in taking an oath to intensify efforts for Khan’s release, calling the incarcerated party founder “innocent” and imprisoned for “fighting for a better system and the future of this country.”

Criticising what he called the imposition of de facto martial law, Gandapur said such actions had “devastated our democracy,” and claimed they were eroding public trust in institutions.

“Those responsible feel no remorse. They use blackmail and violence as tools,” he alleged, adding: “I am the son and brother of a soldier. It is painful to see the reputation of our army being tarnished by a few individuals’ interference.”

The K-P CM reiterated that he took orders from no one but Imran Khan. “Even if threats are made, I will remain answerable only to the public and to my leader,” he said.

Addressing workers across the country, he urged party supporters to begin preparing for protests in their respective regions, encouraging local leadership to take the lead.

“We announce a movement, and our workers are abducted — this won’t go on,” he said. “Let me be clear, I will respond now, even if some in my own party disagree. If you shoot at me, be ready to be shot at too. If you act unlawfully, we will respond in kind.”

Responding to reports of alleged attempts to dislodge the PTI-led government in K-P, he said: “Go ahead, try to bring it down. You didn’t give us this government — we earned it through struggle and public support.”

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The gathering took place at a farmhouse on Raiwind Road in Lahore, shortly after the arrival of a convoy led by Gandapur and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan from Islamabad.

Party sources said the meeting focused on legislative strategy, protest planning, and possible alliances between regional power blocs. Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar termed the Lahore meeting a “symbolic awakening” of the province, warning of sit-ins if the PTI’s political space continued to be restricted.

Earlier in the evening, a high-profile PTI convoy arrived in Lahore amid a heightened police presence, arrests of party workers, and escalating tensions with the Punjab government.

The convoy, which departed from Islamabad earlier in the day, arrived at the Raiwind Road farmhouse of former Deputy Senate Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi, located near the Sharif family estate in Lahore. A dinner and strategic meetings of PTI’s parliamentary committees were scheduled at the venue.

According to party insiders, the discussions were expected to center on protest planning and legislative responses to the recent suspension of PTI lawmakers from the Punjab Assembly. Given the prevailing political climate in both Punjab and K-P, the meeting is being viewed as politically significant. Talks are also expected to address future political strategy and the potential for alliances between regional power blocs.

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The convoy’s arrival at Shahdara Morr was met with a heavy deployment of Punjab police. According to PTI sources, officers arrested four party workers, including Lahore-based ticket holder Engineer Yasir Gilani. Although Gilani was later released, the arrests fueled fresh accusations of political harassment by the PTI leadership. Media access to the site was restricted, and a scheduled press interaction was reportedly cancelled due to security concerns.

Addressing supporters prior to departure, Gandapur said the convoy symbolised peaceful solidarity with the 26 suspended PTI legislators. “This is not a protest in the conventional sense, but a democratic show of unity,” he said. “We bring with us a message of peace, brotherhood, and constitutional respect.”

He added that his government had formally notified the Punjab administration of their plans and travel route. “Our elected representatives are being silenced through unconstitutional and undemocratic tactics,” Gandapur said. “Political arrests will not derail our resolve to uphold democratic values and the public’s right to representation.”

Earlier in Jhelum, Gandapur stated that the leadership was formulating a roadmap to sustain the movement through at least August 5. “We want consensus through consultation. Our leadership and workers are in jail, but our commitment remains unwavering,” he said.

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan affirmed that any announcement regarding the protest campaign would come directly from party founder Imran Khan. He said the Lahore visit was intended to meet party legislators and finalise the movement’s future direction within the law.

Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar welcomed the convoy in a video message, calling it a “symbolic awakening” of Punjab. “The people of Lahore are on the streets to welcome their leaders,” he said. “The government’s use of force to suppress this peaceful demonstration is unacceptable — even under authoritarian regimes.”

Bhachar warned that PTI is prepared to launch sit-ins if obstructed, and condemned what he described as growing political repression under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s administration.

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The backdrop to this political mobilisation is the June 27 suspension of 26 PTI lawmakers, following their protest during Maryam Nawaz’s address to the Punjab Assembly. Since then, thousands of PTI workers have reportedly been arrested or charged as the party ramps up its opposition to the provincial government’s policies and what it terms the “Form 47 mandate.”

“PTI has now formally launched its protest movement,” Bhachar declared. “Raids are underway across Punjab, and we are not afraid of these arrests. Our central leadership and parliamentary parties from K-P and Punjab are meeting in Lahore to finalise our course of action.”