PTI begins long march from Lakki Marwat towards Islamabad

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday launched the first phase of its long march towards Islamabad from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi leading the mobilisation.

The march began despite repeated warnings from the federal government against the planned protest. The government has said the march will not be allowed to enter Islamabad.

In a post on X, Afridi said caravans from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat would join the march at Gandi Chowk before heading towards Karak, where the participants would spend the night.

According to the schedule announced by the chief minister, people from Karak will join the march on October 5 before it moves towards Kohat.

On October 6, participants from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai will join the procession, which will then move towards Peshawar and spend the night near Matni.

The march will resume from Budh Bair in Peshawar on October 7, with participants from Khyber district joining there. Other Peshawar constituencies are scheduled to join at Kohat Road Bridge and the motorway toll plaza before the caravan moves towards Charsadda.

On October 8, the march will resume from Charsadda Interchange, where participants from Charsadda and Mohmand will join. Afridi said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would gather at Khairabad later that day, where the plan for the next phase would be announced.

CM Afridi has outlined PTI’s demands during fresh negotiations. These include ensuring legal, human, and medical rights for PTI founder Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi, and facilitating their meetings with family, lawyers, and companions.

The PTI also demanded the expeditious review of legal petitions for all prisoners belonging to the party, especially women, elderly, and sick inmates like Yasmin Rashid and Bushra Bibi. Additionally, they sought effective federal-provincial consultation on terrorism in KP and a joint security strategy.

In his post, Afridi said terrorism had been imposed on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and criticised what he described as the federal government’s failed policies. He also criticised military operations and drone strikes, saying civilians in the province had been killed.

Afridi said PTI was Pakistan’s largest and most popular political party and that the Constitution guaranteed the right to peaceful protest.

He said the march would continue until the supremacy of the Constitution and law and the restoration of an independent judiciary.

The PTI chief minister also said the party’s demands were in accordance with the Constitution and law, while criticising what he described as the denial of legal rights to Imran Khan, his family and party workers.

PTI had originally planned the march for September 27 but later postponed it to October 4. The party and government also held talks over the political situation, but the negotiations failed to produce an agreement before the march began.