ISLAMABAD: A few days after a purported audio clip of PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur revealing alleged plans to bring arms to the long march, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Higher Education Minister Kamran Bangash also supported the use of “licensed arms” to protect party supporters from the federal government.

“We have licensed weapons and we will hire people for our protection and there is nothing unusual about that,” the provincial minister said in a video clip shared by the Urdu News website.

Mr Bangash further said that if the government resorted to ‘thuggery’ to stop the marchers who will likely reach Islamabad on Nov 4 for the protest then the PTI leadership also reserved the right to defend itself.

The PTI leader said that party supporters were ready to render sacrifices and go to prison for the cause. He, however, added that a peaceful march was imperative for the benefit of the country.

In a warning to the federal government, Mr Bangash said it sho­uld “come to its senses” and thre­a­tened that the Pakistan Demo­cratic Movement (PDM) would “suffer more losses in case the events of May 25 were repeated”.

It may be noted that during the previous long march by the PTI in May this year, the PDM, which was in power in Punjab and Centre at the time, had cracked down on PTI supporters to scuttle the march. The PTI chief had called off the march the next day, saying the decision was taken to avert possible bloodshed.

Speaking about the preparation for the march in the Peshawar division, the provincial minister said every MPA will bring 1,500-2,000 supporters to Islamabad.

He claimed a large number of people have registered for the march on Islamabad and added that the protesters, due to accommodation issues, will probably attend the march in phases.

The party leadership would stay with PTI Chairman Imran Khan in Islamabad at all times, the KP minister added.

This is not the first time that the use of weapons has been brought up during the long march. An earlier audio clip featuring Ali Amin Gandapur discussed bringing weapons to the march.

Recently, Mr Gandapur referred to the events on May 25 and said: “He [Rana Sana] has again threatened us that they will beat us ... we have not worn bangles as well. If you beat us, what do you think, we will be carrying garlands for you?”

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2022