PTI long march moves towards Kohat after overnight stay in Karak

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday resumed its long march from Karak towards Kohat an overnight stay in the district.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is leading the long march bound for Islamabad.

The march began from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat on Sunday and covered around 80 kilometres before reaching Karak late at night.

Afridi had reached Lakki Marwat by helicopter from Peshawar on Sunday to lead the procession, where party workers welcomed him at the helipad.

Addressing supporters at Jail Chowk in Karak on Monday before the convoy’s departure for Kohat, Afridi said that terrorism had been imposed on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under a “well-thought-out plan”, resulting in further bloodshed of Pakhtoons.

He said that people were being displaced and businesses were being destroyed, while innocent civilians, police personnel and soldiers were being killed in security operations.

“I was called immature. If standing with my people is immaturity, I will repeat this immaturity again and again,” Afridi said.

The chief minister had made similar remarks on Sunday while launching the march in Lakki Marwat, saying the PTI would not accept any policy made behind closed doors if it was against the interests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Afridi had also claimed that when the PTI was in power at centre, there was peace in the province, while the current federal government’s policies had failed to end terrorism and instead led to an increase in militant violence.

He claimed that the policy proposed by the PTI could establish peace in the province within 100 days.

The march was launched after government-opposition talks ended in deadlock following two rounds of negotiations aimed at averting the PTI’s planned protest towards Islamabad.

The two sides failed to bridge differences, particularly over access to jailed former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan and the federal government’s counterterrorism policy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier, PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja said on Monday that the party had demanded that Imran’s lawyers, family members, political associates and personal doctors be allowed to meet him.

Raja said the PTI had also made it clear that no matter could be finalised without Imran’s consultation and the party’s position being taken into account.

He said the two sides had also disagreed over how counterterrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be conducted.

According to the PTI’s announced schedule, the convoy will proceed from Karak to Kohat on Monday. Participants from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai districts are expected to join the march on Tuesday before it moves towards Peshawar.

The PTI has said the march will subsequently move towards Peshawar and then Swabi, where the party leadership is expected to announce the next course of action.

Meanwhile, the federal government has stepped up security measures in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Attock to prevent the marchers from entering the capital.

Around 30,000 police personnel have reportedly been deployed in the three areas, while the government has also extended the deployment of Rangers in Islamabad until October 15.

The PTI march comes amid heightened political tensions following the collapse of negotiations and disagreement between the federal government and the KP administration over counterterrorism policy.

The government has warned it would prevent the protesters from entering Islamabad.