CM Afridi rejects governor’s rule, emergency as PTI long march moves through K-P

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday rejected the imposition of governor’s rule or an emergency in the province, saying only the “vision and policy” of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan would be followed in the province. Addressing participants of the long march at Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, the chief minister thanked the participants for their enthusiasm and said the party’s negotiating committee had gone to Islamabad to help reduce the political temperature. He said a “mindset that makes decisions behind closed doors” had been trying to impose another decision on the people of the province. “Here, there is Imran Khan’s government and Imran Khan’s vision and policy will prevail,” Afridi said. He told the participants that the people had voted for a leader and “his player” was standing firm in the field. “We do not accept any policy that causes harm to the Pashtuns,” he said, adding that only Khan would rule in K-P. “We neither accept governor’s rule nor an emergency,” he added. Afridi also rejected the possibility of another military operation in the province, saying a mindset imposed for 79 years was trying to impose another policy of operations on the people. He said the provincial government had given the federal government an “open policy” that could bring peace to the province within 100 days if implemented. “For this, there must be an intention, but their intention is not peace. Their intention is to eliminate PTI,” he said. Afridi said the province had been made a “laboratory” by the federal government for 22 years and that operations had been imposed on it. The chief minister said there had been peace during Khan’s tenure because, in his view, his policy was correct. “After the regime change, terrorism was once again imposed on us,” he said. “They have started this fire and we will put it out.” کام ہے میرا تغیر، نام ہے میرا شباب میرا نعرہ: انقلاب و انقلاب و انقلاب! لانگ مارچ بالقسط کا لکی مروت سے آغاز ، لانگ مارچ کل کرک پہنچے گا قافلے ملتے جائیں گے عوام بڑھتی جائے گی ان شاء اللہ اسلام آباد تک لاکھوں کا سمندر ہوگا ۔#عوامی_سمندر_سڑکوں_پر #سر_بکف_میدان_میں pic.twitter.com/wqcMlKAjMB — PTI (@PTIofficial) October 4, 2026 Afridi urged people to come out, saying Pakistan’s future decisions would be made by its youth. He said a large number of people would gather in Karak and “the whole world will see” them. By the time the march reached Swabi, he said, millions of people would have joined the caravan. “This movement for real freedom will have spread to every corner of the country,” he said. The chief minister urged supporters to stand by Khan, saying the PTI founder and his wife were in jail for their sake. “You have to come out and prove that nations with honour stand with a leader who has honour,” he said. Afridi said the party had been and remained a political force and rejected the message that it could not achieve anything. “We want to tell the mindset sitting there that we will do what our heart tells us to do,” he said. The chief minister also announced the next stages of the march, saying the caravan would travel to Karak the following day and to Kohat the day after. He reiterated that millions would take to the streets and said that by the time the march reached Swabi, the movement would spread across Pakistan. Later, the long march caravan reached Khatm-e-Nabuwwat Chowk on the Bannu-Karak border. Afridi reached Lakki Marwat by helicopter to lead the long march, and in a video shared by PTI on its X account, he was seen disembarking from a helicopter as party workers gathered around to welcome him. پاکستان تحریک انصاف کا لانگ مارچ، وزیر اعلیٰ خیبرپختونخوا سہیل آفریدی لکی مروت پہنچ گئے، عوام کا شاندار استقبال#سر_بکف_میدان_میں pic.twitter.com/Tc4TDy2UeP — PTI (@PTIofficial) October 4, 2026 In another update on X, PTI stated that CM Afridi had arrived at the container, adding that the long march had begun in instalments. "Insha'Allah, this struggle against fascism and lawlessness will continue until the rule of the constitution and law is established in this country, and until the release of all political prisoners, including Chairman Imran Khan". وزیراعلی سہیل آفریدی کنٹینر پر پہنچ گئے، لانگ مارچ بالقسط کا آغاز ،ان شاء اللہ فسطائیت و لاقانونیت کے خلاف یہ جدوجہد تب تک جاری رہے گی جب تک اس ملک میں آئین و قانون کی حکمرانی نہیں ہوتی، چیئرمین عمران خان سمیت تمام سیاسی قیدیوں کی رہائی نہیں ہوتی۔#سر_بکف_میدان_میں pic.twitter.com/SCEgCu8b8R — PTI (@PTIofficial) October 4, 2026 According to an earlier statement issued by Afridi, the first phase of the long march would begin today, October 4, at 1pm from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, where caravans arriving from different districts would join. "Caravans from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat will join the long march at Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat. The participants will stay overnight near Karak," he said. CM Afridi added that on Monday, October 5, people from Karak would join the long march at noon and then the caravan would depart at 12:30pm and stay overnight near Kohat. He said that on Tuesday, October 6, caravans from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai would join at noon. The caravan would depart from Kohat towards Peshawar and stay overnight near Matni in Peshawar. "On Wednesday, October 7, the caravan will depart from Budh Bair in Peshawar at 12:30pm, where people from Khyber district will also join the long march. Caravans from other constituencies of Peshawar will join the march at the Kohat Road bridge and motorway toll plaza, while participants will stay overnight near the Charsadda interchange," he added. CM Afridi said that on Thursday, October 8, the caravan would depart from the Charsadda interchange at 12:30pm, where caravans from Charsadda and Mohmand would join. "People from across K-P would gather at Khairabad on October 8 and stay there overnight. The next phase of the long march will also be announced at Khairabad," he added. انشأللہ آج گنڈی چوک لکی مروت سے ہم لانگ مارچ کا پہلا مرحلہ شروع کریں گے- آج بروز اتوار، 4 اکتوبر، دوپہر ایک بجے گنڈی چوک لکی مروت سے ٹانک، ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان، ساؤتھ وزیرستان، نارتھ وزیرستان، بنوں اور لکی مروت کے اضلاع سے تعلق رکھنے والے غیور پاکستانی لانگ مارچ کا حصہ بنیں گے۔ رات… — Sohail Afridi (@SohailAfridiISF) October 3, 2026 Earlier on Sunday, the party launched the first phase of its long march from Lakki Marwat to Swabi amid a government-opposition deadlock and mounting political tensions, with no plan for a march towards Islamabad announced so far. The long march, initially scheduled for September 27, was postponed to October 4, but the standoff between the federal and provincial governments remains unresolved. On Saturday, talks between the government and opposition failed to break the deadlock over the PTI’s long march, with both sides maintaining their positions and pressing competing demands. The talks, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, followed an initial round on Friday in which the two sides exchanged their positions but failed to reach an agreement. The government wanted the PTI to take the initiative by cancelling the march, while the opposition wanted the government to first facilitate a meeting with its jailed founder, according to sources familiar with the talks.

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