The PTI KP protest plans are on hold for now. The party’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chapter said on Monday that it avoided calling street protests after the proclamation of emergency and the imposition of governor’s rule in the province, because it did not want its workers to come to harm.
Provincial general secretary Ali Asghar Khan gave the explanation in a statement issued in Peshawar. He said the protection of workers was the party’s responsibility, and holding back from an immediate protest did not mean withdrawing from the political struggle.
Why the PTI KP protest is on hold
Mr Khan said peaceful protest remained the party’s right. However, he added that the timing and nature of any protest should be decided under a joint strategy at the national level, not through scattered local calls.
He said the question of what to do next came up during consultations with provincial, regional and district organisations, the Insaf Lawyers Forum, members of the assembly and party workers. Those meetings produced questions and suggestions about the future political course of action, and Mr Khan said workers deserved a clear account of the decisions taken and the reasons behind them.
During the consultations, the party preferred a protest at a suitable time and with a proper strategy over an immediate reaction. The aim was to keep workers safe from further arrests and violence. It was also to protect the party and its workers from provocations or incidents that could be given a wrong colour and blamed on workers.
The Bara protest and the call to wait
Mr Khan pointed to a protest in Bara, in the Khyber tribal district, where he said several PTI workers were wounded when police opened fire. After that incident, workers and members of the assembly who contacted the party about holding protests were advised to wait for party orders.
He said unorganised and individual protests should be avoided until a formal programme was announced.
Provincial deputy secretary of information Ikram Khattana put the point more bluntly. He told Dawn that PTI workers were not armed in protest rallies, while those stopping the protests had guns and would have killed the workers. “We don’t want PTI workers to be harmed,” he said.
What the party wants next
Mr Khan set out the party’s objectives in clear terms. They include the release of former prime minister Imran Khan and all political prisoners, an end to governor’s rule and the emergency, and the restoration of the elected provincial government.
The list also covers the protection of constitutional rights and the public mandate, and the protection of ownership rights and KP’s rightful share over its natural resources and minerals.
He said the central leadership was in contact with other political parties, and the provincial organisation favoured calling an all-party conference as soon as possible to agree a joint stance. Alongside that, he called for legal and parliamentary measures and contacts with lawyers, professional organisations and civil society.
He added that the provincial organisation believed the central leadership should give clear political instructions by the end of the first week of November 2026, setting priorities for political, legal, parliamentary and public activities.
Why this matters for KP readers
For readers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the statement answers a question many party supporters have asked since governor’s rule was imposed: why has there been no immediate street response? The party’s answer is that it is choosing timing over speed, and that it wants a national plan rather than separate local protests.
The development sits within a wider week of institutional activity in the country. The National Assembly passed bills before a quorum count ended its sitting, while the Punjab Assembly session was adjourned after a quorum failure. In Sindh, rallies marked Kashmir Black Day, and Pakistan rejected Afghan Taliban claims about civilian casualties in counter-terrorism operations.
Frequently asked questions
Why has the PTI not called an immediate protest in KP?
The party says it wants to protect workers from arrest and violence after the Bara protest, in which it says several workers were wounded. It prefers a protest at a suitable time and with a proper strategy.
Who explained the party’s position?
Provincial general secretary Ali Asghar Khan issued the statement. Provincial deputy secretary of information Ikram Khattana also spoke to Dawn about the risk to workers.
