PESHAWAR/LAKKI MARWAT/DI KHAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday launched the PTI’s long march towards Islamabad from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, saying the party would “not accept” any policy that was against the interests of the people of KP.
Afridi reached Lakki Marwat by helicopter to lead the PTI’s long march, which is being held to demand the release of jailed party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan. The march was launched from Gandi Chowk on the Peshawar-Karachi Indus Highway.
Addressing thousands of participants, Afridi urged the public to step out of their homes for the sake of Pakistan, saying Imran, along with his wife and sisters, was in prison and they should show the world that they were the “true owners” of the country.
He said the “PTI’s negotiating committee had gone to Islamabad to lower the political temperature, but those making decisions behind closed doors had sabotaged the talks.
“They wanted their will to prevail in KP, but I declared that only Imran Khan’s vision and policies would be implemented here. We do not accept any policy that is not in the interest of the people of KP and the Pashtuns,” he maintained.
The chief minister declared: “We are not ‘yes-men’; we are soldiers of Imran Khan, and we will carry forward his policies.”
He repeatedly asked the crowd whether it supported a military operation, asking those opposed to it to raise their hands.
He questioned the policy being followed to tackle terrorism, saying: “What kind of policy is this, where terrorism has persisted for 22 years?”
KP CM insisted there had been peace during Imran’s government because his policies were sound, but following the “regime change operation”, terrorists were resettled, leading to “infinite terrorism”.
In 2023, after his ouster, Imran had defended his government’s plan to resettle members of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
“We will eradicate terrorism, and if our policy is implemented, we will restore peace within 100 days,” he claimed.
He said the long march was being launched from Gandi Chowk and would conclude at another chowk. At this, the crowd shouted: “D-Chowk.”
“We are a political force and a party, and those who dream of the demise of the PTI can never succeed,” he added.
Afridi said the participants would leave from Gandi Chowk and their next stop would be Karak.
PTI workers had started gathering at Gandi Chowk on the Peshawar-Karachi Highway on Sunday afternoon to participate in the long march. Strict security measures were in place, with a large police contingent deployed at the site along with armoured personnel carriers and bomb disposal squads.
Afridi assailed for using ‘state helicopter’
A special helipad was prepared near Maidadkhel for Afridi and a video shared on social media platforms earlier showed a crowd of PTI workers gathered around it as KP’s chief executive touched down.
A video shared by the PTI on its X account showed Afridi’s convoy surrounded by a large crowd of party workers and supporters.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar criticised Afridi for using a “state helicopter for a political march”.
Calling the use of the helicopter a “violation of the Islamabad High Court’s orders”, he wrote on X, referring to a recent ruling that directed provincial governments to ensure that no government resources or machinery was used to facilitate any march or gathering.
“Terrorism is spreading in the province and Nero is playing his flute,” Tarar quipped.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also said the use of the helicopter amounted to contempt of court by violating the IHC order.
“When the chief minister himself does not uphold the court’s orders and uses state resources for political activities, what expectation can there be for his workers to abide by the law?” Kundi wrote on X.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also made a sarcastic post on X, sharing the video and saying, “Sohail Afridi sahib’s Heli ride today from Peshawar to Lakki Marwat must have been for official work, possibly related to the security situation and counterterrorism efforts.”
Special Assistant to the KP CM for Home and Tribal Affairs Tariq Saad earlier told journalists at his residence that convoys from the southern KP districts would join the “peaceful long” march at Gandi Chowk.
“If workers from some southern districts, especially Tank and Waziristan, could not attend the long march today due to law and order-related curfew and other restrictions, they would join the movement on the way to Peshawar the next day,” he said.
Gandapur convoy returns to DI Khan
Earlier, PTI workers and supporters, led by former KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur, set out from Dera Ismail Khan to join the party’s long march at Lakki Marwat.
However, according to Gandapur, they were forced to return from Yarik on their way because of road blockades and the prevailing law and order situation.
The former KP CM insisted that the decision was taken to avoid exposing party workers to unnecessary risk, after the convoy remained stranded at Yarik for several hours.
Addressing the workers at Yarik, Gandapur noted that Section 144 had been imposed in the area for three days and that the party leadership had clearly directed workers not to damage public property or engage in any activity that could worsen the situation.
Gandapur told the workers that the return should not be viewed as a withdrawal from the protest movement, but as a temporary decision based on the prevailing circumstances, the safety of the workers and the instructions of the party leadership.
He said the workers could again set out to join the long march if the situation improved or the party leadership issued fresh instructions. The PTI leader contended that if the party leadership called him again, he could reach the long march within two hours.
He emphasised that the law and order situation did not warrant keeping a large number of workers at the site overnight.
The former KP CM also told the workers that they could remain at Yarik if they wanted to, but he could not violate the instructions issued by the party leadership.
He stressed that the decision taken by the senior leadership was not merely a personal decision, but one that he regarded as being in line with Imran’s instructions.
However, during the address, some workers expressed disagreement with the decision to take the convoy back. They said they wanted to remain at Yarik and continue their participation in the protest for as long as the movement continued.
Gandapur expressed displeasure over their position and urged them to take the practical situation on the ground into account. “TikTok-type talk” should not be made here, he told the workers, stressing that decisions had to be based on the situation on the ground.
The former KP CM subsequently persuaded the workers to return, following which the convoy left Yarik for DI Khan.
Before departing from DI Khan, the ex-CM stressed that the protest should remain peaceful and urged the participants to maintain discipline and refrain from violence, vandalism and confrontation with law enforcement personnel.
He said the party would follow a policy of “live and let live” during the protest and directed workers not to take the law into their hands.
“Those who block roads or engage in confrontation are not our workers,” Gandapur said, asking the participants to remain peaceful throughout the march.
He further urged the participants to avoid any activity that could lead to clashes or damage to public or private property.
The PTI’s march, being carried out to demand the release of its jailed founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan, is the latest bone of contention between the two sides.
In August, the PTI announced the long march to Islamabad on Sept 27 against what it called the “illegal imprisonment” of its party founder. However, a couple of days before its scheduled long march, the party postponed the march until Oct 4 (today).
Federal ministers have warned that the Centre would have no option but to impose governor’s rule or an emergency in KP, citing the province’s security situation and the protest call, while PTI has warned of dire consequences if such a step was taken.
After weekend talks, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has further warned that the protesters will not be allowed to enter Islamabad.
Plan for the march
According to the plan for the march shared by the KP CM on X, PTI supporters from the districts of Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan and Bannu will join the long march from Lakki Marwat’s Gandi Chowk on Oct 4.
The caravan will halt for the night near Karak, from where people will depart at 12:30pm the next day and stay overnight near Kohat.
Then, at 12pm on Oct 6, protesters from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram, and Orakzai will join the convoy, which will move towards Peshawar and spend the night near Mattani.
The caravan will depart from Budh Bair in Peshawar on Oct 7 afternoon. “The remaining constituencies of Peshawar will join us at Kohat Road Bridge and the Motorway Toll Plaza. And we will spend the night near Charsadda Interchange,” the KP CM said.
They would then depart the Charsadda Interchange at 12:30pm on Oct 8 after people from Charsadda and Mohmand join them.
Refraining from detailing the final leg of the trip to the federal capital, Afridi said the people “of entire KP” would gather at Khairabad on Oct 8 and spend the night there. “God willing, the plan for the next phase will be announced there.”
Ahead of the march, movement on several roads on KP has been banned under Section 144.
Section 144 imposed in several KP districts
Section 144 has been imposed in several districts of KP through notifications issued by the respective deputy commissioners, with restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles along specified routes, citing security and public safety concerns.
In DI Khan, the movement of individuals and all types of traffic on specified roads and routes has been banned between 6am and 6pm from Oct 4 to Oct 6, citing the prevailing law-and-order situation and public safety concerns.
In Upper South Waziristan, Section 144 has been imposed from Oct 3 to Oct 5, banning the movement of cargo vehicles, rickshaws and dumpers over a possible VBSB/VBIED threat in adjoining areas.
In Lower South Waziristan, restrictions have been imposed under Section 144 from Oct 1 to Oct 10, banning the movement of loader rickshaws, single- and double-cabin cargo vehicles, Shahzore vehicles, Mazdas, Suzuki loaders and dumpers in Wana and Azam Warsak. The notification cited security and public safety concerns.
In District Tank, restrictions on the movement of individuals and all types of traffic along specified routes have been imposed under Section 144 from 9pm on Oct 3 until noon on Oct 5. The notification cited the prevailing law-and-order situation, public safety concerns and the need to ensure the safe movement of law enforcement personnel.
In Hangu, restrictions have been imposed under Section 144 from Oct 3 to Oct 6, banning the movement of individuals and all types of traffic on six routes, including the Hangu-Kohat, Hangu-Thall, Hangu Bypass and Hangu-Sumari roads.
The restrictions do not apply to law enforcement agencies and emergency services, while exemptions may be granted by the district police officer or security forces.
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