Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has led the first phase of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long march towards Islamabad after negotiations between the government and PTI ended without an agreement.
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The procession began from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat on Sunday, October 4, as PTI continued its protest campaign over demands concerning party founder Imran Khan. The party has said it will decide its next course of action when the caravans reach Khairabad on October 8.
According to the schedule announced by Sohail Afridi, participants from different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are joining the procession as it moves towards Islamabad.
The first phase began at 1pm from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, with participants expected from Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and the Waziristan districts.
The announced schedule includes the following stages:
- October 4: The march begins from Lakki Marwat, with the convoy travelling towards Karak.
- October 5: Participants from Karak are scheduled to join, while the convoy is expected to move towards Kohat and stay overnight in the area.
- October 6: Participants from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai are expected to join before the procession moves towards Peshawar.
- October 7: The convoy is scheduled to depart from the Budhni/Budber area of Peshawar at 12:30pm.
- October 8: The participating caravans are expected to assemble at Khairabad, where the party will announce its next strategy.
The schedule was announced by the KP chief minister. The actual timing and movement of the procession may depend on developments along the route.
The long march follows the failure of negotiations between the federal government and the opposition to resolve differences over PTI’s planned protest.
The talks, held at Parliament House and chaired by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, continued late into the night but failed to produce an agreement on key issues.
The main disagreements reportedly concerned access to Imran Khan, his medical treatment and cooperation between the federal and provincial governments on counterterrorism measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The government sought assurances regarding counterterrorism responsibilities and wanted the planned march called off. The opposition, meanwhile, insisted on a meeting with Imran Khan before withdrawing the protest.
PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh has said the party will not call off the long march without a meeting with Imran Khan.
According to his statement, the negotiations remained deadlocked over three key issues, including access to the PTI founder and arrangements concerning his health and medical treatment.
Sheikh also called for the federal and provincial governments to develop a joint strategy against terrorism through consultation and cooperation.
He criticised what he described as attempts to make decisions hastily, arguing that broader consultation was needed to resolve the outstanding issues.
The launch of the march has deepened the political standoff between the federal government and PTI.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has accused the KP chief minister of undermining the negotiations, while opposition representatives have maintained that their demands regarding Imran Khan and counterterrorism policy remain unresolved. These are competing positions expressed by the two sides.
PTI has said it will announce its next course of action after the caravans reach Khairabad on October 8. Meanwhile, the outcome of the protest and the possibility of renewed negotiations remain uncertain.
