Failed ‘long march’, KP emergency: PTI lawmakers question leadership

ISLAMABAD: The failure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) October 4 long march and its lack of a clear response to the imposition of Governor’s Rule and a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa triggered a sharp reckoning within the party on Tuesday, with lawmakers demanding answers from the senior leadership.

At a three-hour joint parliamentary party meeting, PTI senators and MNAs confronted the leadership over the failed march and the loss of the party’s government in KP on October 11, questioning its strategy and demanding clarity on the way forward.

The meeting, chaired by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, saw the senior leadership come under sustained criticism over its repeated claims of having Plans A, B, C and D, with participants questioning what these plans had achieved in the face of the party’s political setbacks.

“There has been plenty of talk about Plans A, B, C and D, but where is the actual, practical planning,” sources quoted participants as asking.

They said that with the party’s senior leadership in jail, those remaining at the helm had done little beyond issuing condemnations, a response they described as shameful.

Participants blamed what they described as an ill-conceived strategy for the loss of the PTI government in KP, questioning whether the leadership had adequately prepared for the fallout or taken elected representatives into confidence before proceeding.

They demanded an explanation of the party’s future course of action and how it intended to respond to the latest political developments.

The provincial leadership, particularly deposed chief minister Sohail Afridi, also came under fire over its handling of the protests.

Lawmakers criticised the lack of tangible results and questioned the leadership’s failure to present a clear and effective strategy.

In an unusual airing of internal dissent, according to sources, lawmakers were unusually given the floor individually to openly challenge the party’s direction and decisions, rather than simply toe the leadership’s line.

Participants also questioned the outcome of negotiations led by Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, the PTI-backed opposition leaders in National Assembly and Senate, respectively.

Expressing frustration over the lack of progress, they demanded to know whether the talks had secured any meaningful concessions.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026