Sohail Afridi says level-playing field would allow public participation to determine parties’ popularity
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi speaks to the media during his Lahore street campaign ahead of PTI’s Sept 27 march. SCREENGRAB
LAHORE:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi threw an open political challenge to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday, inviting the ruling party to hold a public rally of its choice in any city of Punjab and compare its turnout with that of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally.
Afridi said the PML-N could choose the city, day, date and time for the rally, while PTI would select a city of its own choice, provided both parties were given a “complete and level playing field”. “If the PML-N’s rally proves larger than PTI’s in terms of public participation, I am ready to quit politics,” Afridi said.
He added that if the PTI rally attracted a larger crowd, the PML-N would have to answer before the people of Punjab over questions surrounding its public mandate, treatment of political workers, governance and performance.
میں ساری نون لیگ کو ایک کھلا سیاسی چیلنج دیتا ہوں۔
پنجاب کے کسی بھی شہر کا انتخاب نون لیگ خود کرے، جبکہ تحریک انصاف کے لیے بھی وہ اپنی مرضی کا کوئی بھی شہر منتخب کر لے۔ دن، تاریخ اور وقت بھی نون لیگ خود طے کرے۔ شرط صرف یہ ہے کہ دونوں جماعتوں کو مکمل اور یکساں لیول پلیئنگ فیلڈ دی…
— Sohail Afridi (@SohailAfridiISF) September 17, 2026
According to Afridi, the PML-N would also have to apologise to the people and reconsider its political strategy and leadership if it lost the proposed public turnout contest.
Read More: Afridi alleges police brutality
“I am presenting this challenge once again with full clarity,” the chief minister said, adding that if the PML-N was confident of its performance and support among the people of Punjab, it should have no hesitation in accepting the challenge.
Afridi said the “biggest political test” for the PML-N was the performance of the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. He argued that rather than relying on claims, official statistics or media statements, the popularity of the two parties should be tested through public participation in rallies.
“Let’s step into the field and let the power of the people decide,” he said.
Afridi also referred to the February 8 general elections, claiming that the people of Punjab had given PTI a two-thirds majority.
“The people of Punjab will decide, just as they did by giving PTI a two-thirds majority on February 8,” he said, adding that PTI was prepared to wait for the outcome of the proposed challenge.
