PTI march moves from Karak towards Kohat

KARAK: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday continued PTI’s long march, addressing party supporters in Karak before leading his convoy towards Kohat.

The march is being held to demand the release of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan. The development comes after weekend talks between the opposition alliance and the federal government ended without an agreement.

Speaking to supporters at Jail Chowk in Karak, Afridi strongly criticised the federal government’s counterterrorism policies and defended his position on security issues in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Afridi also responded to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who had described him as “immature”. The chief minister said he would continue raising issues affecting his province and its people, regardless of criticism.

He alleged that policies formulated without public consultation were affecting national institutions and said PTI would not accept decisions made behind closed doors if they went against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or the country.

Afridi also warned that continued political pressure could make the situation difficult to control. He maintained that PTI was presenting public demands through democratic means and called on supporters to gather in Swabi.

The chief minister further defended Imran Khan’s continued imprisonment, saying the PTI founder was willing to remain behind bars for what he described as the country’s freedom.

According to the announced schedule, the convoy was expected to leave Karak for Kohat after a brief gathering. It will spend the night in Kohat before resuming its journey towards Peshawar on October 6.

The convoy is scheduled to stay near Mattani on October 6, before departing from Budh Bair in Peshawar on October 7 and travelling towards Charsadda Interchange. The protesters are then expected to move towards Khairabad on October 8.

Afridi has not yet revealed the final route towards Islamabad. He said details of the next phase would be announced after the convoy reaches Khairabad.

The march began from Lakki Marwat on Sunday after being postponed earlier. The convoy later reached Karak, where Afridi addressed supporters.

Meanwhile, PTI’s march has faced restrictions in several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Section 144 has been imposed in areas including Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Hangu and parts of South Waziristan.

Former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur also faced difficulties while attempting to lead workers from Dera Ismail Khan towards Lakki Marwat. He turned back from Yarik after encountering road blockades and citing the prevailing security situation.

In Karachi, police also disrupted planned PTI demonstrations and detained party workers and leaders. PTI claimed that more than 75 people were detained in different parts of the city, while arrests in other areas of Sindh allegedly pushed the provincial total above 100.