- WEB DESK
- October 4, 2026
Sohail Afridi reaches Lakki Marwat to lead PTI long march
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- Anwar Zeb
- October 4, 2026
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday reached Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat by helicopter to lead the first phase of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long march, hours after government-opposition talks aimed at averting the protest ended in deadlock.
Afridi arrived at a special helipad prepared near Maidadkhel and later reached the container set up for the march, where party leaders and workers gathered for the mobilisation.
The march is being held to demand the release of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, who is incarcerated in Adiala jail.
The first phase is scheduled to move through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the coming days before supporters from across the province converge at Khairabad on October 8, when the party is expected to announce its next strategy.
The development came after two days of negotiations between the government and the opposition failed to produce an agreement early Sunday, with the talks continuing until around 2:30am.
The government has blamed Afridi for the collapse of the negotiations, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi claiming that the two sides had reached a “win-win” understanding before the chief minister sought changes to the finalised draft.
Naqvi said the government’s main demand was for the KP government to support the federal authorities in the fight against terrorism, while the government was prepared to help resolve the opposition’s political concerns.
The PTI, however, has maintained that it wants a jointly agreed counterterrorism strategy for the province and has opposed unilateral decisions on security operations.
Following the collapse of the talks, the PTI announced that it would proceed with the march, while the federal government said protesters would not be allowed to enter Islamabad.
Governor objects to Afridi’s helicopter use
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi criticised Afridi for travelling to Lakki Marwat in an official helicopter to lead the march.
In a post on X, Kundi said Afridi’s use of a government helicopter for the political activity despite what he described as clear Islamabad High Court orders amounted to contempt of court and a violation of judicial directions.
“When the chief minister himself will not comply with court orders and will use state resources for political activities, what expectation can there be from his workers to obey the law?” Kundi said.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also criticised Afridi over the use of the state helicopter, describing it as a violation of the Islamabad High Court’s orders.
“While terrorism is spreading in the province, Nero is playing his flute,” Tarar said in a post on X.
The Islamabad High Court had earlier issued directions concerning the use of state resources and restrictions on political protests, amid a legal challenge to the PTI’s planned mobilisation.
PTI workers mobilise
Before Afridi’s arrival, PTI workers and supporters led by former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur set out from Dera Ismail Khan to join the march.
In a post on X, PTI leader Junaid Akbar said a large convoy had departed Dera Ismail Khan for the long march under the leadership of former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur. He said Gandapur had urged all party workers to remain peaceful.
Gandapur urged participants to keep the protest peaceful, maintain discipline and avoid violence, vandalism or confrontation with law enforcement personnel.
He said the PTI would follow a policy of “live and let live” during the protest and directed workers not to take the law into their own hands.
“Those who block roads or engage in confrontation are not our workers,” Gandapur said, urging participants to avoid any activity that could result in clashes or damage to public or private property.
He described the mobilisation as part of the PTI’s political struggle for Imran Khan’s release, saying the party had made sacrifices for its founder in the past and would continue its “peaceful political struggle”.
The convoy from DI Khan was expected to travel through Yarik and Pezu before joining the main gathering at Gandi Chowk.
PTI workers from Bannu, DI Khan, Tank, North Waziristan and South Waziristan were also expected to converge at Gandi Chowk.
Special Assistant to the KP chief minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Tariq Saad said the march would begin from Gandi Chowk in line with the party leadership’s decision.
He said workers from the southern districts would join the procession, while those unable to participate because of curfews or other law-and-order restrictions would join the movement on its way towards Peshawar.
March route
According to the schedule announced by Afridi, supporters from Tank, DI Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat would join the first phase at Gandi Chowk on October 4 before spending the night near Karak.
The procession is scheduled to leave Karak on October 5 and move towards Kohat, where supporters from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai are expected to join the following day.
The march will then move towards Peshawar, with participants scheduled to spend the night near Mattani.
On October 7, the caravan is scheduled to depart from Budh Bair in Peshawar, with participants from Khyber district and other parts of the provincial capital joining along the route before the procession moves towards Charsadda.
The march is scheduled to resume from Charsadda Interchange on October 8, with supporters from Charsadda and Mohmand joining before participants from across KP gather at Khairabad.
Afridi has said the next phase of the movement will be announced at Khairabad.
Tensions with federal government
The PTI’s march is the latest escalation in its confrontation with the federal government, which has repeatedly warned against attempts to enter Islamabad.
The party had initially announced the march for September 27, saying it was aimed at securing the release of Imran Khan and seeking what it described as his legal, medical and visitation rights. It later postponed the mobilisation to October 4.
The government has cited security concerns and the threat of disruption to law and order, while PTI leaders have repeatedly said the protest will remain peaceful.
The federal government had also warned that the KP government’s handling of the province’s security situation could have political consequences, including renewed discussion of constitutional options.
With the negotiations now deadlocked and the first phase of the march under way, the confrontation has shifted from the negotiating table to the streets, with both sides maintaining sharply different positions on how the political and security disputes should be resolved.
