Politics
Internal divisions within Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a lack of coordination, poor cooperation among party organizations, the federal government’s tough stance,
Internal divisions within Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a lack of coordination, poor cooperation among party organizations, the federal government’s tough stance, and the absence of party leaders and workers from Punjab have left the long march largely confined to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for now. Meanwhile, party leaders continue to threaten to march toward Islamabad.
According to party sources, several protest movements and long marches were organized from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa toward Islamabad after Ali Amin Gandapur became chief minister. However, his separation from workers and disappearance after reaching Islamabad raised suspicions within the party. Allegations that he had reached behind-the-scenes understandings with the federal government and state institutions further damaged his standing, eventually leading to his removal as chief minister. Some party circles believe that this experience has made the current leadership more cautious about launching a direct march toward Islamabad.
Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Mahmood Khan said that three names were submitted to PTI founder Imran Khan when a new chief minister was being selected. Two of the candidates enjoyed stronger support within the party, and Imran Khan knew both of them personally. The third candidate was Sohail Afridi, whom Khan did not know at the time. According to Mahmood Khan, Afridi’s nomination was conveyed to Imran Khan by Murad Saeed through Bushra Bibi’s sister.
Sohail Afridi was expected to lead vigorous political resistance for Imran Khan’s release after becoming chief minister. However, as nearly nine months passed without a major march toward Islamabad, pressure on him within the party continued to grow. Some party members repeatedly questioned why Afridi had not yet decided to march toward Islamabad if he was serious about securing Imran Khan’s release. Under this pressure, Afridi eventually announced September 27 as the date for the long march. Even after the announcement, however, questions were raised within the party about why it had taken so long to organize the march.
As the announced date approached, the federal government began taking stringent measures. Road closures between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, the placement of shipping containers in front of the provincial assembly in Peshawar, actions against cabinet members, discussions about the possibility of governor’s rule or an emergency, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s visit to Peshawar, and a security meeting convened by the provincial governor all heightened tensions. According to sources, these developments raised concerns for Sohail Afridi and the provincial government about the possible consequences of advancing toward Islamabad.
Meanwhile, PTI leaders and workers in provinces other than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa showed little substantial activity in support of the long march. Afridi also attempted to mobilize workers in Punjab and Sindh, but the expected response failed to materialize. Leaders and workers in Punjab and Sindh largely limited their participation to social media activity. There are also two influential groups within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government that oppose Afridi. One consists of members who support former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur. The other includes members who were excluded from the cabinet, first by Gandapur and later by Afridi. According to sources, neither group is showing much interest in the long march announced by Afridi. Both groups have reportedly even discussed which candidate they would support to replace him if he steps down as chief minister.
When the long march began on October 4, the large turnout expected from Punjab failed to materialize. A Hiace van carrying workers from Mianwali and a few participants from Faisalabad joined the convoy. As the convoy traveled from Lakki Marwat to Karak and then to Lachi, workers from Karak returned home. By the time the convoy reached Matni, an area of Peshawar, the number of participants from other districts had also declined. Workers who had joined from Kohat returned home as the convoy prepared to head toward Khyber district. Speaking to V News in Matni, Ammar Ali, a PTI supporter from Faisalabad, said workers in Punjab feared arrest if they took part in political protests. For this reason, they had decided to travel to Lakki Marwat and join the long march rather than stage protests in Punjab.
According to Ali, only around 20 to 22 people from across Punjab were part of the convoy at that point. These included four friends traveling together and a vehicle carrying participants from Mianwali. Ali said he had expected large numbers of workers from Punjab’s districts bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly Attock and Mianwali, as well as from southern Punjab, including Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahim Yar Khan, to join the march. However, that did not happen. As a result, the long march launched to secure Imran Khan’s release remains, at least for now, largely dependent on the activities of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government and its supporters. With the expected political and public backing from Punjab and other provinces failing to materialize, the plan to take the march all the way to Islamabad remains a major question.
