Sohail Afridi was chosen because of his long-standing affiliation

USPA NEWS - The circumstances in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa necessitated a change in the Chief Minister, a step fully in line with the constitutional process followed in other provinces as well. This process must be allowed to proceed without interference, ensuring its timely completion. Any attempt to interfere in this process will be met with a vigorous public protest.
 
Sohail Afridi was chosen because of his long-standing affiliation, dating back to his student days with ISF, and the ideology of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. This decision also reinforces the narrative of involving grassroots workers in decision-making instead of relying solely on electable.

Attempts by certain quarters to link the change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister to my family are completely unfounded. The decision is purely political and no member of my family in any way influenced it. No family member has any connection to my political decisions.
 

Ali Amin is among my old and loyal associates, but he is embroiled in disputes. These disputes from Asim Munir’s policy of confronting terrorism through empty displays of force rather than a comprehensive political strategy. The year 2025 marks the worst period in Pakistan’s history in terms of terrorist incidents, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can no longer withstand the crisis. I hope the new Chief Minister and his team will work with public representatives to adopt a comprehensive policy aimed at eliminating terrorism and establishing lasting peace.
 
For the past two decades I have consistently outlined a clear strategy to combat terrorism. Because of that strategy, terrorism was largely brought under control during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s three-and-a-half-year government. At that time, PTI even negotiated with the then anti-Pakistan and India-aligned Ashraf Ghani government, and issues involving tribal communities and Afghan refugees were resolved through understanding.

In 2021, the military leadership at the time proposed a plan for the resettlement of militants who had laid down their arms. However, our elected representatives from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas opposed it, and therefore it was never implemented during our tenure. Yet, contrary to these facts, the PTI government is being falsely accused of having allowed terrorists to be settled in the country and thereby causing the present wave of terrorism. If these accusations hold any truth, the nation deserves to know precisely which terrorists were resettled, and the details of when, where, and how.
 
At times, it is alleged that the Afghan government is responsible for terrorism in Pakistan because militants based in Afghanistan carry out operations here; at other times it is claimed that decades-long settlement of Afghan migrants in Pakistan is responsible. Both claims are unfounded, for even after the disgraceful expulsion of millions of Afghan refugees, terrorism has only intensified. Such contradictions leave no doubt about the ill intentions behind the Asim Munir-imposed system and its hostility toward the people.

My position on confronting terrorism has always been unequivocal. History has proven time and again that when force replaces political foresight and strategy, failure is the only outcome. Collateral damage resulting from military operations often forces the public, in revenge, to take up arms, perpetuating a cycle that grows progressively worse.

Politically motivated reprisals have produced a stream of baseless cases against me, repeatedly refiled. Cases large and small, including Tosha Khana, Al-Qadir, cipher, iddat, and again Tosha Khana, have been brought against me and my wife, Bushra Bibi, solely to coerce me into abandoning my commitment to true freedom. I want to send my nation this message once more: no matter what they do, I will not bow before them, nor will I allow my nation to bow.” Message from former Prime Minister Imran Khan from prison - October 9th, 2025