PTI march enters fourth day as KP cabinet meeting called

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march towards Islamabad entered its fourth day on Wednesday as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi summoned a provincial cabinet meeting to discuss the political and administrative situation.

Afridi will chair the meeting, with officials expected to discuss matters related to the provincial government. The meeting’s detailed agenda is expected to be issued during the day.

The development comes as the PTI convoy led by Afridi continued its journey after reaching Mattani on the outskirts of Peshawar late Tuesday. The convoy had travelled from Kohat before the party changed its planned route.

The chief minister described the protest as a “Test match”, suggesting that the movement would involve several stages. PTI has said the convoy is expected to reach Khairabad, near the Punjab border, on October 8. Afridi is expected to announce the next phase of the protest there.

The march began from Lakki Marwat on October 4 after negotiations between the federal government and PTI failed to resolve key differences.

The talks reportedly remained deadlocked over the federal government’s demand for greater cooperation from the KP government on counterterrorism measures. PTI, meanwhile, has sought a mutually agreed strategy for dealing with security challenges in the province.

Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has called on the government not to prevent PTI from holding a protest in Islamabad.

Speaking after meeting opposition leaders, Fazl said peaceful demonstrations and long marches were part of democratic politics. He noted that political parties, including his own, had organised similar marches in the past.

He also supported wider political consultations and said an All-Parties Conference could be considered to develop a joint strategy on the country’s political challenges.

Fazl said dialogue should remain an option and political parties should approach negotiations in a constructive manner. He stressed that all political forces should work within the Constitution and seek political solutions to political disputes.

The JUI-F leader also said the government should avoid creating further confrontation if PTI intended to stage a peaceful demonstration in the federal capital.