Afridi Leads PTI Convoy to Kohat After Overnight Stay in Karak

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi led the PTI convoy to Kohat on Monday after spending the night in Karak, as the party’s long march resumed following the collapse of talks between the government and the opposition.

The march began on Sunday from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat. The convoy reached Karak late at night, where Afridi addressed participants at Khatam-e-Nabuwwat Chowk on the Bannu-Karak border. Internet services were suspended in Karak during the gathering.

Speaking before the convoy moved towards Kohat, Afridi thanked the people of Karak for welcoming marchers from across southern K-P. He blamed renewed violence in the province on what he called a deliberate policy failure, and said Pakhtuns were again paying the price of flawed decisions.

Sharp reply to Naqvi’s “immature” remark

Afridi devoted part of his address to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who had described him as “immature” a day earlier.

“An establishment operative sits on television and says that I am immature,” Afridi said. “If standing with my people is immaturity, then I will commit this immaturity again and again,” Afridi said, accusing those in power of dividing the country through flawed policies and promoting prejudice between provinces.

The chief minister also referred to remarks attributed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz about security threats, arguing that such statements risked deepening divisions between provinces. “Our democratic demands will have to be accepted. The policy made in Pakistan will have to be one that is in the interest of the people,” he said.

PTI convoy to Kohat: the route ahead

Afridi framed the march as part of a wider struggle, calling Imran Khan the country’s only leader. “We have to fight the battle for true freedom alongside Imran Khan,” he said.

He called on supporters from across Pakistan to gather in Swabi, where he said the next phase of PTI’s strategy would be announced.

According to the route announced by Afridi, caravans from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai will join the procession on Tuesday before it travels from Kohat towards Peshawar. The convoy is then scheduled to move through Peshawar, Charsadda and Mohmand before reaching Khairabad on October 8, where the next phase of the march was to be announced.

Why the march started: talks fail to break deadlock

The march followed the failure of government-opposition talks to reach an agreement over the PTI’s protest. The talks, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, ended on Saturday without a breakthrough. The government wanted the PTI to cancel the march, while the opposition sought assurances that a meeting with jailed PTI founder Imran Khan would be facilitated.

K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi warned on Sunday that an emergency could be imposed if necessary to “save the province”. “If an emergency is imposed, I alone will be enough for them,” Kundi said, warning those taking part in the march.

Addressing marchers at Khatam-e-Nabuwwat Chowk, Afridi rejected military operations and drone attacks in K-P and said decisions affecting the province should not be made in “closed rooms”. He said the southern districts had repeatedly faced terrorism, military operations and collateral damage from drone attacks. He also rejected the possibility of governor’s rule or an emergency, saying the PTI founder’s “vision and policy” would prevail in K-P.

FAQs

Where is the PTI convoy now?

Led by K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, it moved towards Kohat on Monday after an overnight stay in Karak. More caravans join the procession on Tuesday.

What is the march’s planned route?

From Kohat the procession heads towards Peshawar, then through Charsadda and Mohmand, reaching Khairabad on October 8, where Afridi says the next phase of PTI’s strategy will be announced.

Why did the government-opposition talks fail?

The talks, chaired by NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, ended on Saturday without agreement. The government wanted the march cancelled; the opposition wanted a meeting with Imran Khan facilitated.

Has an emergency been imposed in K-P?

No. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi warned on Sunday that one could be imposed if the situation deteriorated. CM Afridi rejected the possibility of governor’s rule or an emergency.