PESHAWAR
A public rally organized by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Peshawar on Saturday failed to draw significant participation from party workers and supporters, raising serious questions about the party’s current organizational strength in its traditional stronghold and growing governance challenges in the province.
Despite extensive preparations and announcements on digital and social media platforms, the PTI rally at the Ring Road venue saw a noticeably thin crowd, with several sections of the seating area remaining empty throughout the event, showing people lack of confidence in policies of the PTI government.
Senior party leaders, including local office-bearers, parliamentarians and former lawmakers, addressed the gathering but struggled to energize the limited audience as traffic jams obstructed flow of traffic by creating a lot of problems for general public, patients and students.
Political analysts suggested that the low turnout may reflect growing disillusionment within the party’s ranks following recent political setbacks corruption allegations, legal challenges facing top leadership, and internal rifts in PTI that have surfaced in recent months.
“Peshawar which once considered the heartland of PTI’s support base has expressed no confidence in policies of Ali Amin Govt,” said political commentator and former lawmaker Wajid Ali Khan while talking to APP on Sunday.
“Such a low turnout of people here is indicative of deeper issues within the PTI’s ranks and narrative mostly revolves around release of its founder.”
He claimed that the recent Kohistan corruption scandal, conviction of PTI founder, cracks in PTI ranks, price-hike, security issues, high rate of illiteracy and unemployment in KP has largely contributed to the low crowd and their lack of trust in the Ali Amin Gandapur Govt’s policies.
Prime Minister’s Coordinator Information for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ikhtiar Wali Khan, said the Peshawar rally served as a clear reflection of public reaction where people showed shoes and bottles to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and other PTI leaders, exposing their true worth.
The rally, attended by only 8–10 thousand people, was neither a fresh nor a revolutionary initiative but a repetition of old and failed slogans, he said in a statement here. Quoting a couplet, he remarked that those who keep making loud noises eventually fade away without leaving an impact.
Ikhtiar Wali Khan reiterated that PTI’s political journey, which once began with grand shows at D-Chowk, Minar-e-Pakistan, and Mazar-e-Quaid, has now reversed and ended with a symbolic burial in Peshawar on Saturday.
He praised the youth of KP for giving a strong message by rejecting the PTI leadership.
Ikhtiar Wali Khan criticized the KP provincial government for administrative failures and corruption, claiming that the Chief Minister had placed a family member as his front man, sidelined honest officers, and allowed influential people to grab mineral resources.
He said the provincial government had failed to fulfill its basic responsibility of maintaining law and order.
He urged PTI leadership to stop political point-scoring over sensitive security matters, adding that while intelligence-based operations were continuing, these should not be politicized.
However, some PTI supporters cited organizational mismanagement, traffic jam and short notice as reasons for not attending. “There was no proper mobilization. Many of us didn’t even know the rally was happening today,” said a local party member of Nowshera who requested anonymity.
PTI leadership, however, downplayed the turnout, asserting that the true spirit of the party lies in its message, not in numbers, vowing to re-engage the grassroots ahead of upcoming political campaigns.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan Affairs, SAFRON and President of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Engineer Amir Muqam have declared PTI’s rally was completely flopped.
He said after the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, even PTI’s own workers boycotted the rally which showed lack of confidence in Ali Amin Govt policy.
“Just like their humiliating failure in the movement for the founder’s release, they have also failed to hold a successful rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”
Engr Amir Muqam reitetated that it was said earlier that PTI will now only give dates, but will no longer be able to run a mass movement.
He said like India’s “Operation Sindoor,” PTI’s “Operation Fasaad (Chaos)” has also turned to ashes.
Engr Amir Muqam claimed that PTI leaders are more focused on their struggle for power rather than the release of their founder.
“Those who forgot the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the floods have now wasted huge taxpayer money on a failed rally. Just like their government, PTI’s rallies will also remain unsuccessful.”
He said the public, through their unity, has buried the mindset of chaos and anti-state sentiment.
All conspiracies of the enemies of Pakistan and the youth have failed due to the successes of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, both domestically and internationally.
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is under the grip of terrorism, and instead of fulfilling its responsibility of maintaining law and order, PTI’s provincial government is busy playing rally games.”
He claimed that the insensitive PTI government has no concern for the safety of people’s lives and property, nor any regard for the brave sons who were martyred fighting terrorists.
That’s why the people of the entire province showed no interest in PTI’s rally and are joining PMLN.
As the political landscape in Pakistan continues to shift ahead of the next general elections, PTI’s ability to rally its base particularly in key regions like Peshawar could prove critical in determining its future relevance on the national stage.
Politcal observers said that PTI started losing its footing in Peshawar as evident of the yesterday poor attendance of people and the party has to review its policies and worked hard to maintain its vote bank in its once stronghold.
