PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remain divided over the party’s planned protest on February 8, with some parliamentarians opposing road closures and proposed lockdowns, sources said.

The Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-Pakistan (TTAP) has announced a nationwide strike on February 8, marking the second anniversary of the 2024 general elections, which PTI has repeatedly described as “rigged.”

Sources said the PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa parliamentary party held a meeting on Monday to finalise its strategy for the protest, during which sharp differences emerged.

MNA Shahid Khattak reportedly argued that PTI had the mandate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s people and that protests, including lockdowns and road closures, would unnecessarily burden the public and create political difficulties for the party. MNA Atif Khan reportedly supported Khattak’s stance. Khattak also suggested compiling a list of party members who had not participated in earlier protests outside Adiala Jail.

The meeting reportedly grew heated when PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar expressed frustration, saying the leadership was under pressure from multiple sides. “Whom are we supposed to appease? First Aleema Khan, then the workers, and now you… Whom should we convince?” Akbar told Khattak.

Speaking to a Journalist, Khattak confirmed that all participants, including Akbar, shared their views and said he had cautioned that a lockdown would create hardship for the public.

Earlier, TTAP announced the nationwide strike, calling it a “decisive turning point in the struggle for restoration of constitutional rights, protection of the right to vote, and upholding democratic principles.” The opposition alliance has repeatedly alleged that the public mandate was violated and large-scale vote theft occurred in the last general elections.