MARDAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Sunday that he had conveyed a message to incarcerated PTI founder, Imran Khan, stating that he was ready to “be in Islamabad” — ostensibly to hold a power show in the federal capital.

“I conveyed to him that I am ready, the nation is ready, Pakistanis are ready … If you give us the go-ahead, we will be in Islamabad the next day,” he told a charged crowd at a public gathering in Mardan.

He said Imran had instructed to consult Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan leaders Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mehmood Khan Achakzai as well, and he would be mindful of that.

Turning his guns on the incumbent federal government, he said they had been unable to make Imran bow under the pressure of “baseless and fabricated cases”, filed against him and his spouse, Bushra Bibi.

He accused the government of committing “cruelty and injustice” against Imran, his sisters and Bushra Bibi.

Afridi decried that Imran and Bushra Bibi were being deprived of the right to get medical treatment according to their choice, terming it “sheer injustice” and “contrary to the Constitution”.

He demanded the immediate release of the PTI founder and his spouse.

The KP CM also announced a package of Rs50 billion for the completion of development projects in the Mardan district.

He blamed the “failed policy” of the incumbent federal government for the present law and order situation in KP, adding that Imran had restored and maintained peace in the province due to his “effective and good policy” when he was in power.

He said he had been following and would continue to follow Imran’s policy.

The CM claimed that prices had skyrocketed after “power was snatched” from Imran and decried that decreasing purchasing power and rising prices in the country. “Now, most of the people are ready to commit suicide due to poverty,” he remarked.

He said the GDP growth rate was six per cent during Imran Khan’s tenure in the Centre, but now it has reduced to 2pc.

KP CM, however, welcomed the hosting of US-Iran talks in Islamabad, saying that credit must be given to Pakistan for arranging the talks for restoring peace in the region.