PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Junaid Akbar over his remarks about turning Islamabad into “ruins” during the party’s planned march on the federal capital.
In a post on X, Kundi accused PTI of promoting what he described as a politics of violence, intimidation and destruction. He said Akbar’s remarks represented a continuation of what he called an increasingly confrontational political narrative.
PTI should be ashamed of itself. @JunaidAkbarMNA’s threat to turn Islamabad into ruins is yet another display of the politics of violence, intimidation and destruction that “Tehreek-e-Inteshar” has normalised. This is the same politics that thrives on demonising state… pic.twitter.com/9Y622Vc2Wp
— Faisal Karim Kundi (@fkkundi) September 20, 2026
Junaid Akbar, who is PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president, said in a speech in Peshawar that the party would not remain silent if protesters were killed during the planned march and used the phrase “turn Islamabad into Somnath.” He also said the march would approach the capital through multiple routes.
Responding to the remarks, Kundi said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were already facing terrorism, economic difficulties and governance challenges. He questioned the PTI’s decision to focus on a march toward Islamabad instead of addressing issues confronting the province.
The governor also criticised what he described as PTI’s attacks on state institutions and its confrontational political messaging, saying such rhetoric could further intensify political tensions.
Kundi called on the PTI leadership to return its focus to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and take responsibility for the province’s affairs.
The remarks come ahead of PTI’s announced September 27 march on Islamabad, which the party says is aimed, among other demands, at securing the release of its founder Imran Khan. The federal government has said it will prevent any attempt to occupy roads, highways or government buildings in the capital.
