Afridi Slams Centre's Counterterrorism Policy as PTI Long March Rolls Into Mattani
Afridi Slams Centre’s Counterterrorism Policy as PTI Long March Rolls Into Mattani
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi led the PTI long march convoy out of Kohat on Tuesday (October 6), pressing on toward Mattani on the outskirts of Peshawar, and used a rally in the city to launch a broadside at the federal government’s counterterrorism policy.
Addressing supporters at University Chowk in Kohat, Afridi said twenty-two years of military operations in the province had failed to end terrorism. “Your failed policy did not end terrorism,” he said, directing his remarks at the Centre. “Let me propose a policy under which peace can be established in 100 days.”
The chief minister said he had shared a draft of his demands on social media and declared he would call off the march if any of them were proven unconstitutional or illegal. He also voiced concern over reports that PTI founder Imran Khan’s health was deteriorating in jail, warning that the jail administration, the prime minister and the relevant authorities would be held responsible if he was harmed.
PTI long march timeline: Kohat to Khairabad
The protest march began on Sunday from Lakki Marwat with the single demand of Imran Khan’s release. The convoy reached Kohat on Monday night and spent Tuesday moving toward Mattani, where the protesters were expected to halt for the night.
The plan, according to Afridi, is to reach Khairabad at the KP–Punjab border by October 8, where he will announce the march’s next move. Islamabad had earlier been named as the final destination, but the federal government has warned the party against bringing the protest to the capital.
Talks deadlocked, governor draws a line
The latest push comes after weekend negotiations between an opposition delegation of the PTI and the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan and a joint team of the government and the PPP ended without agreement, reportedly stalling on the question of counterterrorism policy.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, meanwhile, vowed the march would not be allowed to proceed beyond Attock into Punjab, arguing the PTI lacked the capacity to sustain it. He accused Imran Khan of “having militants settled in KP”, claimed Afridi was taking directions from Murad Saeed, and said governor’s rule in the province remained a last resort, describing it as “surgery is the last option”.
Section 144 and detentions
The march has run into heavy administrative resistance. Former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur turned back at Yarik in Dera Ismail Khan after encountering road blockades. Section 144 has been imposed in DI Khan, Upper and Lower South Waziristan, Tank and Hangu.
In Karachi, a PTI protest was disrupted; the party claimed more than 75 workers were detained in the city and over 100 across Sindh. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged the PTI to end the march and sit-ins, once again inviting the party to political dialogue.
Why is the PTI marching?
The party launched the march on October 4 from Lakki Marwat to demand the release of its jailed founder, Imran Khan. The convoy has been moving through KP toward the Punjab border.
What is Afridi’s “100-day peace policy”?
The KP chief minister says the Centre’s counterterrorism approach has failed after 22 years and has offered a policy he claims can establish peace within 100 days, publishing his draft demands on social media.
Will the march enter Punjab?
The convoy aims to reach Khairabad by October 8, but the KP governor has warned it will not be allowed beyond Attock, and the federal government has cautioned against protests in Islamabad.
