PTI begins long march from Lakki Marwat after talks fail

The PTI is set to begin its long march from Lakki Marwat today, after two days of talks between the government and the opposition ended without an agreement to defuse the political crisis, Dawn reported.

The march is being held to demand the release of the party’s jailed founder, former prime minister Imran Khan. It was first announced for September 27, then postponed to October 4.

Five-day plan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi set out a five-day plan on X in the early hours of Sunday:

• October 4: supporters from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan and Bannu gather at Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat at 1pm; the caravan halts near Karak
• October 5: the convoy leaves at 12:30pm and stops near Kohat
• October 6: people from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai join; overnight stop near Mattani
• October 7: departure from Budh Bair in Peshawar; Peshawar constituencies join at Kohat Road Bridge and the motorway toll plaza; night near Charsadda Interchange
• October 8: Charsadda and Mohmand join; the people “of entire KP” gather at Khairabad

Afridi did not detail the final leg to Islamabad. “God willing, the plan for the next phase will be announced there,” he said. Movement on several roads in the province has been banned under Section 144.

Why the talks failed

The talks were chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. PTI leader Asad Qaiser confirmed they ended without agreement, The Express Tribune reported.

According to sources, the two sides were divided over who should move first. The government wanted the march called off, while the opposition wanted a meeting with Imran Khan arranged first.

Sources said the government had agreed to several demands, including:

• Access: a meeting between opposition leaders and Imran Khan
• Detainees: the release of some leaders and workers held under the Maintenance of Public Order law, including Imran’s three sisters
• Treatment: considering the Supreme Court’s August order on Imran’s treatment at a private hospital
• Political space: a committee on opposition complaints

But Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai said only Imran Khan and Afridi could call off the march, and that no final announcement could be made before meeting the PTI founder. Tensions rose further after Afridi posted the march plan on X.

Naqvi: KP “backed out”

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the KP government had agreed to sign a written agreement and submit a counterterrorism implementation plan within 72 hours, but then backtracked. “Last night, during the final phase of negotiations, the KP government backed out of these commitments. Security must not be politicised while the province is at war,” he said on X.

Adviser to the PM Rana Sanaullah warned that protesters would not be allowed to enter Islamabad.

Emergency threat

Federal ministers have warned the Centre may impose governor’s rule or an emergency in KP, citing the security situation. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the government had been “100 per cent ready” to do so, but his party pushed for a political solution first, calling such a step a “constitutional atomic bomb”. He urged the PTI to drop the march, saying it had already made its point, and called for a written KP-federal agreement on fighting terrorism.

On Friday, the military’s top brass warned that any attempt to create a May 9-like situation would “be dealt with decisive force”.

Why it matters

With terrorism rising in KP and both sides digging in, the march puts the country’s stability under strain. How the next five days unfold, and whether talks resume, will shape Pakistan’s politics for months. Read our earlier reports on Afridi’s defiance and on the march’s postponement.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn and The Express Tribune.