PTI Long March Enters Fifth Day

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march has entered its fifth day, with the convoy reaching Khyber district, the hometown district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, last night. The convoy is scheduled to leave for Peshawar today. The federal government held two rounds of talks with PTI on October 2 and 3 in an effort to postpone the march, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement. As a result, PTI launched the long march from Lakki Marwat on October 4 in support of several demands, including the release of Imran Khan.

The convoy traveled from Lakki Marwat through Karak, Kohat and Matni before reaching Khyber, where it stopped on Detour Road. According to the original plan, the convoy was supposed to travel directly from Kohat to Peshawar and spend the night near Matni. However, PTI changed the March route on Tuesday. Under the revised plan, the long march is expected to reach Kabutar Chowk on Peshawar-Charsadda Road by tonight, from where it will proceed toward Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi and Malakand.

In anticipation of the long march’s arrival, some private and government schools in Peshawar have reportedly been partially closed. Education department sources said schools in areas along the March route were closed due to security concerns, while schools outside the route remain open as usual. Earlier, the educational boards of Peshawar, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan had announced the postponement of examinations due to the long march. Addressing the march in Khyber, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi appealed to people in his hometown to “rise before it is too late, take advantage of this opportunity, come out and begin the revolution.”

He announced that the peaceful struggle would continue, saying, “We are peaceful people. We staged a 126-day sit-in in Islamabad and carried out a street movement from Khyber to Karachi, but we did not damage any property, let alone break even a flowerpot.” Sohail Afridi accused the government of launching a crackdown against PTI, saying, “We were subjected to violence, electricity was cut off wherever we stayed, and vehicles were damaged. But as long as we have breath and even a last drop of blood in our bodies, the struggle for true freedom will continue.”

The large gathering visible in Khyber district during the long march is presenting a striking display of public participation, enthusiasm and support. It may be recalled that on the second day of the long march, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had offered PTI that the government was ready to resume negotiations if the party ended its protest. However, in response to the offer, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar said the party was not opposed to negotiations but wanted the talks to be held “unconditionally.”