Imran's directives: PTI to hold power show in Swabi on Feb 8

• Not difficult to arrange vehicles for public gathering: Akbar.
• PTI KP president says they will change some things, procedures.
• Over 70 village councils under administration of each MNA, he adds.

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar has said that the party will hold a public rally in Swabi on the directives of its incarcerated founder Imran Khan on February 8.

The day marks the first anniversary of the last general elections, which the party alleges were rigged, resulting in the theft of its mandate.

"A public rally will be held in Swabi on February 8 on the PTI founder's call," Akbar said in a statement, who recently replaced Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur as the party's provincial president.

The development comes as the former ruling party has also sought permission to hold a public gathering in Peshawar on February 8 which it says would be observed as a "Black Day".

PTI leader Aliya Hamza submitted an application to the deputy commissioner's office and sought the local administration's approval for a public gathering at the Minar-e-Pakistan ground, also known as Iqbal Park, next month.

The opposition party's prospective return to street politics comes against the backdrop of its negotiations with the government — which now seem to have collapsed after its refusal to attend the fourth round of talks on January 28 citing the government's failure to form a judicial commission to probe the May 9 riots and November 2024 protests as per its charter of demands.

The dialogue process between the PML-N-led government and the PTI  commenced in late December after months of heightened political tensions.

Although the PTI presented its written charter of demands and after weeks of negotiations — with three sessions taking place — little progress was made on key matters.

Meanwhile, PTI's Akbar, who is also the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), has warned of agitation against the ruling coalition saying that the party's desire to hold dialogue with the government was misconstrued as its weakness.

Speaking on Geo News' programme 'Capital Talk' earlier, he remarked that the PTI might raise the political temperature in the country once again by shifting to "agitation mode" and further hinted at a large-scale reshuffle in the party’s hierarchy with "hardliners" set to be appointed to key positions.

Nevertheless, commenting on the party's protest strategy, the PTI KP president has said that instead of relying on the CM, the funding should be arranged by the workers' themselves.

"The public gathering and the workers both belong to the party so we have to make the [financial] contribution," he said.

"There are more than 70 village councils under the administration of each MNA. It is not difficult to arrange vehicles for a public gathering."

"We will change some things and procedures now," he added while putting his weight behind CM Gandapur saying that the province's chief executive "always supported every worker and every party wing".