Web Desk: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has drawn criticism over remarks about drugs, smuggling and the province’s traditional culture as his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led long march toward Islamabad moves through the province.
In a speech, Afridi was reported as saying that the sale of charas and the drug trade would continue and that his administration could not abandon centuries-old cultural practices. His remarks have triggered a debate over whether references to cultural traditions could be interpreted as tolerance of illegal activities.
Meanwhile, questions have emerged on social media over the strength of PTI’s mobilisation after video footage purportedly showing the party’s temporary camp in Karak appeared online.
The footage shows a large number of tents but relatively few people visible inside the camp. Social-media posts accompanying the video claim arrangements had been made for around 10,000 people, while suggesting that fewer than 500 were present when the footage was recorded. Those figures have not been independently verified.
PTI supporters have continued to project a large turnout for the march. However, the Karak footage has prompted a separate debate over the actual number of participants and the scale of the party’s mobilisation.
The development comes as Afridi leads the PTI campaign toward Islamabad. According to reports, the convoy moved into Karak after setting out from Lakki Marwat, with supporters expected to continue toward Kohat and join the wider procession.
As the march progresses, additional supporters could join the convoy, making its eventual size clearer. The competing claims over attendance are likely to remain a key feature of the political debate surrounding the protest.
The controversy over Afridi’s remarks and the dispute over crowd numbers come at a politically sensitive time, with the PTI seeking to demonstrate substantial public support while the government faces growing pressure over the march and negotiations with the opposition.
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