PESHAWAR
“First a Pakistani, then a Pakhtun and a tribal,” declared Muhammad Sohail Afridi in his maiden address to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly after being elected Chief Minister on Monday.
He expressed gratitude to the party leadership for elevating a grassroots worker to the province’s highest office.
Afridi called for a review of Pakistan’s Afghan policy and stressed the need to involve local elders in efforts to combat terrorism.
Addressing the Assembly after his election as Leader of the House, Afridi paid tribute to PTI founder Imran Khan for nominating him and described his rise as that of “a common worker” with no political family backing.
“First a Pakistani, then a Pakhtun and a tribal,” he said, expressing gratitude for the party’s trust.
Afridi vowed to pursue steps for the release of Imran Khan and declared himself a proponent of protest politics.
“I have nothing to lose, no cars, money or bungalows,” he said, adding that he would not be swayed by the trappings of office. “No one should think I will abandon the party’s ideology for salutes, crowns or comforts.”
On security and regional policy, Afridi stressed involving local stakeholders in areas affected by militancy.
“Where there is terrorism, the solution is to take the elders, local representatives and parliamentarians into confidence,” he said. “Ask the people and their representatives how to end terrorism, only then will this problem be solved.”
He also warned against sidelining party leadership: “If the founder of PTI is moved here and there without consulting his family and party, the entire country will be paralyzed,” he said, stressing his commitment to party unity and consultation.
