National ( The cow news digital ) Although Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi informed the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) that the proposed “Imran Khan Release Force” was never established, internal details reveal he was among its main proponents.
The project was ultimately abandoned after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan refused to give formal approval or authorize its official notification.
Despite strong backing from a section of PTI leadership—including CM Afridi—the plan was dropped following clear opposition from the party chairman. Party sources noted that Chief Minister Afridi had actively pushed for the initiative, publicly announcing plans to organize, register, and administer an oath to volunteers for a dedicated campaign to secure the release of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan. However, the proposal failed to formalize into an official entity due to Barrister Gohar’s refusal, who maintained that establishing such a force would be unconstitutional and illegal.
Barrister Gohar reportedly warned party leadership that officially creating a “force” of this nature would expose PTI to severe legal consequences and potential accusations of militancy.
The matter resurfaced recently in court when Chief Minister Afridi submitted a written response stating that the force was never formed. While technically accurate, sources clarify that the project remained on paper purely because Barrister Gohar blocked it despite the Chief Minister’s insistence.
The controversy initially emerged several months ago when CM Afridi proposed establishing a dedicated structure where registered members would take an oath before joining the campaign. Following internal objections, PTI discarded the concept of a rigid, oath-bound force. Instead, the party opted for a broader, lawful political movement operating within democratic boundaries to avoid creating any perception of a parallel organization.
Furthermore, PTI decided that the timing and launch of future protest movements would not be decided unilaterally by the KP Chief Minister, but in consultation with the broader opposition alliance led by Leader of the Opposition Mahmood Khan Achakzai. The decision to drop the force is widely viewed as a win for PTI’s moderate leadership over hardline factions favoring aggressive tactics.
