Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi resumed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) protest march on Monday, addressing social gathering supporters at Jail Chowk in Karak earlier than main his convoy in direction of Kohat.
The PTI-led opposition has continued its march regardless of warnings from the federal authorities that gatherings in Islamabad wouldn’t be allowed. The protest is looking for the discharge of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.
The march was revived after negotiations between PTI and the federal authorities over the weekend did not resolve their variations. Among the many main factors of disagreement was the Centre’s coverage for coping with terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Addressing the gathering in Karak, Afridi as soon as once more criticised the federal authorities’s counterterrorism method and questioned earlier navy operations and drone strikes.
He additionally responded to remarks made by Inside Minister Mohsin Naqvi a day earlier, when Naqvi had described him as “immature”.
Referring to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s remarks relating to the specter of terrorism to Punjab, Afridi mentioned: “Suppose, I say that [my province] doesn’t have a risk from India, however from the opposite three provinces, will you contemplate me mature?”
He mentioned if elevating considerations about his province and its folks was thought of immature, then he had proven this “immaturity” the day before today, was persevering with to take action and would hold doing so.
Afridi argued that “unsuitable insurance policies drafted behind closed doorways have been impacting all establishments”.
Reaffirming his patriotism, the PTI chief mentioned, “We additionally chant Pakistan zindabad, we rise up for the nationwide anthem as properly.”
He warned, nevertheless, that future generations won’t share the identical sentiment if efforts to “divide Pakistan and unfold hatred” continued.
Afridi maintained that PTI was elevating public calls for by democratic means, however warned that if the scenario went past all limits, neither he nor anybody else would have the ability to management the general public.
He mentioned insurance policies must be primarily based on the needs of the folks and youth and should serve the nationwide curiosity.
“We won’t settle for any choice taken behind closed doorways that’s in opposition to us, our province or Pakistan,” the KP chief minister mentioned.
Afridi additionally mentioned Imran Khan had the choice of looking for his launch however had chosen to stay imprisoned for the nation’s “freedom”.
“He’s free even in jail, and we’re slaves even when free,” he mentioned.
The chief minister known as on supporters to assemble in Swabi, saying the social gathering’s subsequent transfer couldn’t be predicted.
Earlier, Afridi’s focal individual for digital media, Yar Muhammad Khan Niazi, posted a video on X exhibiting PTI supporters welcoming the chief minister at Jail Chowk in Karak.
In line with an earlier submit by Afridi, folks from Karak have been as a result of be part of the convoy at midday, with the departure initially scheduled for 12:30 pm. The convoy, nevertheless, left later than deliberate.
وزیر اعلیٰ خیبرپختونخوا محمد سہیل آفریدی کی قیادت میں تاریخی لانگ مارچ کے پہلے دن کی شاندار جھلکیاں وزیر اعلیٰ محمد سہیل آفریدی نے لکی مروت سے لانگ مارچ کا آغاز کیا، جہاں مختلف اضلاع، بنوں اور وزیرستان سے آنے والے قافلے شامل ہوتے گئے۔ قافلہ کرک کے جیل چوک پہنچا، جہاں عوام اور کارکنان نے بھرپور جوش و جذبے سے استقبال کیا۔ لکی مروت سے کرک تک مختلف مقامات پر عوام اور تحریک انصاف کے کارکنان نے قافلے کا والہانہ استقبال کیا۔ لانگ مارچ کا قافلہ آج کرک سے کوہاٹ کی جانب روانہ ہوگا اور رات کو کوہاٹ میں قیام کرے گا، جبکہ تاریخی سفر جاری رہے گا۔
— Yar Muhammad Khan Niazi (@YarMKNiazi) October 5, 2026
The caravan is scheduled to stay in Kohat in a single day earlier than persevering with in direction of Peshawar at midday on October 6. It should spend the night time close to Mattani.
On October 7, the convoy is predicted to depart Budh Bair in Peshawar within the afternoon and keep in a single day close to Charsadda Interchange.
The protesters are then scheduled to proceed their journey the next afternoon and spend the night time of October 8 at Khairabad.
Afridi has not revealed particulars of the ultimate leg in direction of the federal capital, saying the plan for the subsequent stage will likely be introduced at Khairabad.
The already-postponed PTI march formally resumed from Lakki Marwat on Sunday afternoon. Afridi’s convoy later reached Karak, the place he addressed supporters at Jail Chowk in the course of the night time.
Earlier than the march started, motion on a number of roads in Dera Ismail Khan, Higher and Decrease South Waziristan, Tank and Hangu was restricted beneath Part 144 for various intervals.
In the meantime, former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who was main PTI staff from Dera Ismail Khan in direction of Lakki Marwat, turned again from Yarik on Monday amid highway blockades and the prevailing regulation and order scenario.
Gandapur mentioned Part 144 had been enforced within the space for 3 days and that social gathering management had instructed staff to not injury public property or take any motion that would additional worsen the scenario.
He mentioned, nevertheless, that the choice to return shouldn’t be interpreted because the protest motion being known as off, describing it as a brief measure.
In Karachi, police disrupted a deliberate PTI protest marketing campaign in a number of areas by deploying personnel, blocking roads and detaining social gathering staff and leaders.
PTI claimed that greater than 75 social gathering leaders and staff, together with ladies, have been detained from totally different elements of Karachi. The social gathering additional alleged that arrests in different areas of Sindh, together with Sukkur, had pushed the entire variety of detained PTI staff throughout the province above 100.
The most recent political tensions adopted prolonged negotiations on Saturday night time between an opposition delegation comprising PTI and Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) and a joint government-PPP group. The talks ended with out an settlement.
The federal authorities blamed Chief Minister Afridi for the failure to achieve a deal, whereas PTI rejected the allegation.
In line with PTI, entry to Imran Khan, his medical therapy and the federal authorities’s counterterrorism coverage have been the principal points behind the impasse.
PTI mentioned the federal government had agreed to revive conferences between Imran Khan, his members of the family and attorneys from Tuesday, however “declined to make entry to Imran Khan a part of the proposed settlement”.
