ITRAT BASHIR

LAHORE: A convoy led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan arrived in the provincial capital on Saturday, marking, what the party officials described the start of a renewed political movement.

This visit took place amid increased police presence, the arrest of party workers and rising tensions with the Punjab government.

The convoy’s arrival at Shahdara Morr was met with a significant deployment of Punjab police. According to PTI sources, police arrested four party workers, including PTI’s Lahore ticket-holder Engineer Yasir Gilani. Although Gilani and the others were later released, the incident prompted further accusations of political intimidation from PTI leadership. Moreover, a planned interaction with journalists was reportedly cancelled due to security concerns.

According to party sources, the convoy, which comprised PTI parliamentarians headed to a farmhouse on Raiwind Road for a dinner and strategic meetings of the PTI’s parliamentary committees. These meetings were intended to outline the next phase of their political campaign, focusing on protest strategies and legislative responses to the recent suspension of PTI lawmakers.

Before their departure, Gandapur addressed supporters, stating that the convoy symbolises peaceful solidarity with PTI’s 26 provincial lawmakers who were suspended from the Punjab Assembly last month. “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.”

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister emphasised that his government had already informed the Punjab administration of their intentions and itinerary. “Our assembly members were being silenced through unconstitutional and undemocratic tactics,” Gandapur told reporters, adding that political arrests will not derail the movement. “We are determined to uphold democratic values and the public’s right to representation.”

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar echoed these sentiments, stating that any significant announcement related to the protest campaign would come directly from party founder Imran Khan. He clarified that the purpose of the Lahore visit was to meet with party members and strategise within the boundaries of law.

Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, in a video message, welcomed the convoy, declaring it a ‘symbolic awakening’ of Punjab. “The people of Lahore are on the streets, ready to welcome their leaders,” he said. “The government’s use of force to suppress this peaceful show of solidarity is unacceptable, even in dictatorships.”

Bhachar reiterated that the PTI was prepared to hold sit-ins if obstructed by law enforcement and denounced what he described as increasing political repression under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s government.

The political backdrop of the convoy’s arrival includes the suspension of several lawmakers following protests during Maryam Nawaz’s address to the Punjab Assembly on June 27. Since then, thousands of PTI supporters and activists have reportedly been arrested or charged as the party continues to protest the government’s handling of electoral and political matters.

Gandapur told reporters earlier in Jhelum that today’s meetings would also explore sustaining the movement until at least August 5. He stressed that the party leadership aims to build consensus through consultation, reflecting the urgency of what PTI leaders view as a critical moment for democratic resistance in Pakistan.