MANSEHRA  -  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said on Wednesday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) sit-in was a movement that was ongoing and would continue until the call of the founder [to call it off].

Gandapur was addressing a news conference here along with Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub.

He said the PTI was a peaceful party. “We talk about the rule of law, protection of the Constitution, true freedom and democracy in the country. Unfortunately, for the last two and a half years, our party has been subjected to oppression.”

Gandapur said cases were fabricated against [the PTI leadership]. “Our mandate was stolen. Our leader is in jail in concocted cases. Our voters were tortured. We demand our rights but we are not allowed to protest peacefully.”

The chief minister said a cruel tradition had been set which was unprecedented in history. “We do not get justice from courts. We have only one choice, to protest without permission.

He said, “Whenever we demanded to hold rally in Islamabad we were tortured.”

“I want to make it clear, the sit-in is ongoing. It will continue as it is launched on the call of [Imran] Khan. He had said that the sit-in will continue until he say so. I want to tell the whole of Pakistan that our sit-in is continuing.”

The chief minister said they [police] shot at our workers. He said, “Hundreds of our people sustained bullet wounds. The data of our martyrs is being compiled. The data of our workers who were arrested is also being collected.

“I was also targetted. I was fired upon. Bushra Bibi, who was with me, was also fired upon,” he continued

He said, “We were going peacefully. The question is why were we were shot at? Whenever we got hold of a policeman or security force official, we let him go. Every family here has a member who is in police, Rangers, FC or army.”

He was all praise for the PTI activists and said they had been fighting a war for their coming generations. “Today the PTI founder is in jail for us. He is sacrificing for our real freedom,” he said.

He said when a chief minister could not get justice, how common people could get justice.

He assured the families of arrested workers that he would secure their release. “I salute my workers. We stand with the families of those arrested.”

It may be recalled that Gandapur reached Mansehra along with Bushra Bibi and party General Secretary Omar Ayub from Islamabad late night when a grand operation was launched to disperse activists who were on a sit-in on the call of Imran Khan.

Gandapur accused the authorities of using excessive force against protesters who he said were peaceful. He said ‘hundreds’ had sustained bullet wounds.

“Both Imran Khan’s wife and I were attacked directly,” Gandapur told a press conference in Mansehra.

Khan’s wife Bushra Khan escaped unhurt. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had said she would address the press conference with Gandapur, but she did not appear even though the event was delayed by hours.

PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said earlier that the protest seeking Khan’s release had been called off, citing what he called “the massacre”. But Gandapur said the protest would continue until Khan himself called it off.

At least six people - four paramilitary soldiers and two protesters - had been killed in the protests before the overnight clashes, according to PTI.