PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, while addressing a parliamentary meeting, said preparations for the August 5 public gathering had been finalised and responsibilities assigned to all parliamentary members.

He described the August 5 rally as a "semi-final and decisive" event, saying the party would present its future course of action to the nation. He added that the venue had been shifted to an open ground near the Peshawar Motorway to facilitate the public.

Afridi said that since October 15, 2025, all constitutional and legal avenues had been pursued and every effort made to resolve issues through dialogue. He said the PTI leadership also wanted to settle matters through negotiations, but the opposing side did not respond positively.

The chief minister said he had approached the Islamabad High Court and the Supreme Court to seek a meeting with Imran Khan and had also attempted to raise the matter with the chief justices of both courts. He said meeting his party leader was his constitutional and legal right as chief minister.

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He said the provincial government's decisions should be made in line with Imran Khan's vision, adding that PTI lawmakers had been elected on Khan's name rather than their personal political standing. He said rejecting Khan's mandate amounted to insulting the people of the province.

Afridi alleged that the federal government was treating the elected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government as second-class citizens. He also demanded that Imran Khan's family, sisters and personal doctors be allowed to meet him and that he be provided the best medical treatment.

Referring to the May 9 incidents, Afridi said allegations had been made against PTI over attacks on military installations, adding that an impartial investigation would establish the facts. Quoting Imran Khan, he said, “The army is mine, and the country is mine.”

He said that despite defeating opponents in every narrative, issues remained unresolved, adding that peaceful protest was now the final constitutional option and that the Constitution guaranteed every citizen the right to peaceful protest.