PTI’s Islamabad march kicks off from K-P tomorrow

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is set to begin its protest march from the southern districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on October 4.

PTI K-P information secretary Shaukat Yousafzai said the protest would go ahead as planned. He said the march would be led by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

He said separate processions would also leave Peshawar, Malakand and Hazara. The Malakand procession would be led by PTI provincial president and MNA Junaid Akbar Khan.

According to Yousafzai, the different groups will converge in Swabi before moving towards the federal capital.

He said preparations for the protest had been completed. He added that a shortage of resources would not stop the party from proceeding with the march.

Yousafzai said the ultimate destination of the procession was Islamabad.

The PTI leader also spoke about the ongoing negotiations between the government and opposition. He said the progress of the talks would depend largely on the government’s approach.

He said PTI had placed several demands before the government. These include access to party founder Imran Khan, his transfer to a hospital and early hearings of cases against him.

Yousafzai described PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as a mature and conciliatory political leader. He expressed hope that Gohar would help find a way forward through negotiations.

He said Friday’s discussions had been encouraging. Both sides had presented their positions, and further developments would determine the direction of the talks.

Yousafzai also rejected suggestions that governor’s rule should be imposed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. He said such a step would not resolve the province’s problems and could make the situation more complicated.

He urged the government to take immediate steps to ease tensions. According to him, allowing PTI leaders to meet Imran Khan would help create a more favourable environment for political engagement.