The PTI convoy led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi reached the Khyber district on Wednesday with the provincial chief executive vowing that he would not allow another military operation in KP.
The route plan for the march, being carried out to demand the release of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, has been changing since it began.
The PTI earlier planned that the chief minister would lead his convoy to Khairabad — which borders Punjab’s Attock — on Oct 8 and announce the next plan of action.
However, according to a statement released by CM Afridi’s office, he told the protesters in Khyber today that the long march would now go all the way to Swabi, where he would announce the next plan of action.
But a member of the PTI’s social media team, Omar Farooq, told Dawn that the final destination remained tentative for now.
He also confirmed that the march will reach Peshawar on Thursday and spend the night tomorrow in Charsadda. The plan was also shared by the focal person to the chief minister on social media, Yar Muhammad Khan Niazi.
PTI MNA Sajid Khan Mohmand told Dawn that the CM would reach Mohmand on Oct 9 and address a gathering at Mian Mandi Bazaar on Oct 10.
The march was announced as part of the PTI’s nationwide protest, initially scheduled for Sept 27 but was later postponed to Oct 4.
On Oct 4, the march began from Lakki Marwat and Karak, from where the protesters trekked to Kohat on the second day and arrived in Mattani, located on the outskirts of Peshawar, on Tuesday night.
While the plan for the trek after Oct 8 is yet to be announced, the PTI previously announced Islamabad as its final destination.
The Centre has warned the party against any protest or gatherings in Islamabad. However, the PTI decided to embark on the march after weekend talks with the federal government to bridge their differences failed for multiple reasons, particularly over the counterterrorism policy.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi again challenged the PTI today to go through Swabi, saying, “Let them cross through Swabi and show us”, while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’.
Afridi decries military operations
“I will not allow another military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; I will resist anti-people policies till I am the chief minister,” Afridi said while addressing PTI supporters in Khyber.
Khyber is also home to Tirah, whose residents had agreed to vacate their homes to facilitate a military operation against terrorists in December 2025.
In recent months, the displaced families have expressed reservations over the government’s fulfilment of commitments following their displacement, including the provision of financial assistance.
The KP government, led by the PTI, has also been opposed to military operations in the province. Now, it also finds itself at odds with the Centre over the latter’s counterterrorism policy — a sticking point that is said to have led to the breakdown of negotiations between the federal government and the opposition in the Centre, including the PTI.
Mentioning those talks, the KP chief minister alleged in his address that attempts were made to compel the provincial government to sign up for another military operation, according to a statement issued by his office. “But I will never become a part of this policy,” he asserted.
“The people of Tirah were displaced in extreme winter,” he said, and added without naming anyone that “they did not have any realisation of the hardships faced by the people”.
CM Afridi claimed that people were happy in tribal areas before military operations, recalling that PTI founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan had been voicing opposition to those operations since 2004.
He also decried what he described as the provision of insufficient funds for erstwhile tribal areas by the Centre, claiming that his government had released Rs21 billion for families affected by military operations.
Noting that the KP government was being accused of not cooperating on counter-terrorism, he argued that terrorism was also prevalent in Balochistan, where the provincial government was cooperating with the Centre.
He reiterated his allegation that the Centre had not released the funds allocated for the erstwhile tribal areas, including Khyber, after their merger with KP.
Additional input from Mohammad Ashfaq and Fauzee Khan
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