Pakistan's Ex-PM Imran Khan's Party Begins Long March After Talks With Government Fail

Islamabad/Peshawar: Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan's party on Sunday began its long march towards Islamabad from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the failure of negotiations with the government.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi set off from Lakki Marwat's Gandi Chowk, saying he would announce his next course of action on Thursday, October 8, when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's convoy reaches Khairabad.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar Khan was accompanying Afridi, the party said.

According to the party, Afridi is leading the march from Gandi Chowk, where he will join the participants and proceed towards the next destination.

Addressing participants of the PTI's long march at Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, Afridi said his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government would not accept any policy detrimental to the interests of the Pashtun people, asserting that only Imran Khan's "vision and policies" would be followed in the province.

He thanked the Pashtuns for their support and said the PTI's negotiating committee had gone to Islamabad the previous day to help reduce political tensions.

He alleged that a "mindset that takes decisions behind closed doors" had been preparing to impose another decision on the people, saying the PTI would resist any such move.

"This is Imran Khan's government and only Imran Khan's vision and policy will prevail here," he said.

Afridi said the party rejected both governor's rule and emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

"Only Imran Khan's rule will prevail in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," he said, adding that his government would not accept any policy that harmed the Pashtun people.

He alleged that the same "mindset" that had been imposed on the country for 79 years was seeking to impose another policy of military operations on the people.

He said the provincial government had given the federal government a "clear policy" to restore peace in the province and that peace could return within 100 days if the policy was implemented.

"But there must be an intention for peace. Their intention is not peace; they intend to eliminate PTI, but even their father cannot do that," Afridi said.

He alleged that terrorism had once again been imposed on the country after the "regime change", saying, "They started this fire, and we will put it out."

He predicted a "sea of people" would gather in Karak and claimed that millions would join the march by the time it reached Swabi.

He said the movement for "real freedom" would spread to every corner of the country.

The talks between Khan's party and the government focused on key demands of the party, including an immediate meeting with its jailed founder and his transfer to a hospital where his personal doctors could examine and treat him.

The first round of talks was held on Friday, with the two sides exchanging their positions and agreeing to continue negotiations, but without reaching an agreement.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf sought Khan's transfer to a hospital, while the government wanted the party to call off its October 4 protest.

The second round of talks between government negotiators and Khan's party leaders began shortly before 5 pm on Saturday and continued for several hours before ending in a deadlock early Sunday.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had announced plans for a long march to Islamabad on September 27, but later postponed it to October 4 amid government measures to prevent the protest.

The 73-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician has been incarcerated since 2023 and faces more than 100 cases, including corruption and charges related to inciting violence. He is lodged at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Khan's party has also demanded the release of his sisters and supporters arrested ahead of the protest, a proper medical check-up for Khan's wife Bushra Bibi, and that their cases be heard without interference.

On August 18, Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered that Khan be shifted to a private hospital in Islamabad for medical examination and treatment following concerns over his health, particularly his eyesight.

The government challenged the order and later filed a review petition.

Pakistan's Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, who was part of the federal government delegation that held discussions with Khan's party members, said on Sunday that the talks failed primarily because the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government could not assure the Centre that it would cooperate in the fight against terrorism in the province.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a northwestern province, is governed by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

The province has long faced militant violence, particularly from the Pakistani Taliban, with militants operating across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and carrying out attacks.

The second round of talks remained deadlocked over access to Khan, with the government insisting that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf first announce the cancellation of the protest and that the issue of a meeting with its jailed leader would be decided later, according to sources.

The party, however, demanded a meeting with Khan before deciding on the protest, the sources said.

Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan leader and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Nasir Abbas said the talks remained unresolved over both the issue of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and access to Khan, including to his personal physician.

Pakistan Peoples Party leader Sherry Rehman, who also participated in the talks, said the government delegation had discussed all the opposition's points but claimed that the draft agreement was changed four times after it had been agreed upon. She told Geo News that she would not go into details.

Afridi said in a message on X that party supporters from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat would join the long march from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat at 1 pm on Sunday.

The caravan will halt for the night near Karak, from where participants will depart at 12:30 pm the next day and stay overnight near Kohat.

At 12 pm on October 6, protesters from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai will join the convoy, which will move towards Peshawar and spend the night near Mattani.

Afridi said the caravan would depart from Budh Bair in Peshawar on the afternoon of October 7. The remaining constituencies of Peshawar will join the convoy at Kohat Road Bridge and the Motorway Toll Plaza before it spends the night near Charsadda Interchange, he said.

The protesters will depart from Charsadda Interchange at 12:30 pm on October 8 after people from Charsadda and Mohmand join them. Afridi said people from across KP would gather at Khairabad that day, but did not announce the final leg of the journey to Islamabad.

Meanwhile, political adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah, said protesters would not be allowed to enter Islamabad.

The federal government had earlier deployed additional security personnel and placed shipping containers on roads leading to the capital to prevent the protesters from entering Islamabad.

Also, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi addressed a press conference in Lahore where he warned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi that he would be held responsible if anyone lost their life during the ongoing political standoff, saying the government would not allow any violation of court orders.

Naqvi said four different drafts were exchanged during 12 hours of negotiations.

"If even a single life is lost, Sohail Afridi will be responsible," he told the media.

The interior minister said the government would not allow any violation of judicial orders and would implement whatever decision was taken by the president and the prime minister.