PTI march heads to Kohat as talks fail

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march moved towards Kohat on Monday as negotiations between the party and the federal government failed to produce a breakthrough, with both sides blaming each other for the deadlock.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who is leading the march, announced that Kohat would be the next stop for the participants after their stay in Karak. Addressing party workers, he urged them to remain prepared for a prolonged political struggle.

Afridi later told workers in Kohat that the PTI’s “T20 match” would begin on October 8. He called on supporters not to exhaust themselves, saying the party’s struggle would continue for some time.

The chief minister also criticised the federal government’s counterterrorism policies, claiming that they had failed to curb militancy in KP. He alleged that the province was being pushed into further instability and said residents were facing displacement, bloodshed and damage to their businesses.

Afridi maintained that his government would not accept policies that it believed were harmful to the province. He also rejected what he described as pressure to support an approach he considered wrong.

Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the government’s negotiations with the party had ended without an agreement. He said the two rounds of talks had failed mainly because of disagreements over a possible security operation in KP.

Raja said the PTI had placed two key demands before the government, including a meeting with party founder Imran Khan. He insisted that the party could not take major decisions without consulting its incarcerated founder.

According to Raja, the government had also indicated that emergency measures could be introduced in some parts of KP within 72 hours. He said the PTI wanted political dialogue to continue but believed a meeting with Imran Khan was essential for making further progress.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the long march had not been called off and would continue. He ruled out the possibility of the party leaving the KP government or dissolving the provincial assembly.

Gohar also urged the federal government to stop interfering in the province and alleged that governor’s rule was effectively being exercised in KP despite no formal declaration.

On the government side, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said negotiations could resume if there was progress on the country’s counterterrorism policy. He maintained that the federal government had the constitutional authority to formulate national policy on terrorism and said the provincial government was constitutionally bound to follow it.

Sanaullah also said an understanding had already been reached regarding a meeting between Imran Khan and the PTI leadership, as well as access to his personal doctors.

PML-N Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Danyal Chaudhry accused PTI of deliberately derailing the negotiations. He alleged that the party was pursuing divisive politics and attempting to mislead the public about the reasons for the talks’ failure.

Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bukhari also criticised Afridi, accusing him of focusing on political protests while the province faced serious security challenges. She claimed that KP was struggling with terrorism, drugs and smuggling and said the federal government might have to take constitutional measures.

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam similarly criticised the KP government, saying the province’s people were facing severe difficulties. He accused Afridi of neglecting his administrative responsibilities by participating in protests and described KP as an “abandoned province” where, according to him, the government’s writ was weakening.