The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march progressed towards Charsadda on Friday, marking the sixth day since its commencement on Sunday, October 4. After spending Thursday night at various locations in Peshawar, the marchers prepared to move forward despite widespread mobile phone and internet outages across much of the city.
The convoy departed from Khyber district on Thursday and camped at multiple points within Peshawar. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi arrived separately at Kabootar Chowk near midnight, addressed the assembled crowd briefly, and then departed, while the workers remained overnight.
the march’s itinerary, the caravan was scheduled to reach Shabqadar by midday on Friday and arrive in Charsadda by 5 pm, where participants planned to stay overnight. Afridi is set to address a rally at Farooq-e-Azam Chowk in Charsadda at 2 pm on Saturday.
Attendance in Peshawar was relatively modest, with approximately 500 local supporters joining. The majority of participants were the 3,000 to 4,000 workers who had traveled with the march from southern districts. The limited turnout was partly attributed to the cramped venue, which restricted the possibility of a large rally.
Initially, the march was intended to proceed through Charsadda, Mardan, Malakand, and Mohmand. However, the route has been revised; the convoy will now move from Charsadda to Mardan and then to Swabi. The party is expected to decide its next steps at Swabi, with an anticipated arrival around October 12.
Along the march’s path, mobile signals have been suspended intermittently. Signal blackouts began at Mattani upon the convoy’s arrival from Kohat, continued through Khyber, and extended into Peshawar, where service has been down for three consecutive days except in the cantonment area. Residents have expressed frustration over the communication disruptions, which have affected both phone and internet services. Restoration of signals is uncertain but may improve once the convoy departs the city. Schools that were closed on Thursday reopened on Friday.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan stated in Charsadda on Thursday that the party remains open to constructive negotiations with the federal government without any preconditions. He opposed the imposition of governor’s rule or an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, arguing that such measures would not solve the country’s problems. Gohar urged all decision-makers to exercise restraint and resolve disputes through dialogue.
Defending Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Gohar rejected allegations that Afridi had supported terrorists, reaffirming PTI’s stance against terrorism and its solidarity with the state. He expressed hope that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would assist in facilitating talks and thanked the JUI-F, Awami National Party, and Jamaat-e-Islami for opposing governor’s rule.
These comments came shortly after talks with the government collapsed in the early hours of October 4 over issues including access to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and cooperation on counterterrorism efforts. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi blamed Afridi for the breakdown, a claim rejected by PTI.
Meanwhile, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has scheduled a hearing for October 15 on a petition challenging the appointment of Sohail Afridi as KP Chief Minister. The petition seeks to declare Afridi’s election unconstitutional and to reinstate his predecessor, Ali Amin Gandapur.
The three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan, will hear the petition filed by MNA and lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat. The court issued notices to Afridi, the KP government, and the Attorney General on September 14. Marwat contends that Gandapur’s resignation was not voluntary but made under pressure from PTI founder Imran Khan, who is constitutionally disqualified. He argues that such a resignation lacks legal validity and questions whether the governor formally accepted it.
Marwat cites a Supreme Court ruling that a disqualified individual cannot control the state through proxies, warning that allowing a disqualified person to influence the provincial executive undermines constitutional governance. The court has yet to rule on these arguments.
At the initial hearing, justices noted the submission of two resignation letters by Gandapur and questioned the constitutional issues involved. Marwat has requested the court to annul all actions stemming from Afridi’s appointment notification dated October 15, 2025, and to restore Gandapur as chief minister.
The PTI long march entered its fifth day on Thursday, with the caravan leaving Khyber for Peshawar. Reports indicated Afridi’s address in Khyber attracted over 30,000 attendees. The caravan was expected at Kabotar Chowk on Charsadda Road by 9 pm before proceeding to Charsadda the following day.
PTI sources confirmed a revised schedule, with the march now expected to reach Swabi on October 10 instead of October 8. Caravans from Malakand were instructed to begin on October 11. The proposed route includes Peshawar, Charsadda, Mohmand, Mardan, Bajaur, and Malakand. Partial school closures have been reported along the route.
The march is unfolding amid a dispute between the provincial government and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi over a security meeting convened by the governor with the chief secretary and police chief. Afridi condemned the meeting as unconstitutional, stating that the governor chairing such a session is an attack on the Constitution and democracy.
