Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced on Friday that he will unveil the next course of action for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march during a gathering in Charsadda later that night, as the marchers departed from Peshawar.
Speaking to supporters at Bakshi Pul in Peshawar, Afridi expressed gratitude to the city’s residents for their strong participation and enthusiasm, noting that the turnout remained robust as the procession moved through various parts of the city. He remarked that despite traveling across Peshawar, the energy and involvement of the people showed no signs of waning.
Afridi urged his supporters to await his announcement in Charsadda, where the convoy was expected to arrive overnight. He also mentioned that he would disclose a final plan in Swabi, hinting that it would be a move significant enough to unsettle his political rivals.
The march, led by Afridi, resumed from Peshawar accompanied by provincial party leaders, parliamentary members, and other PTI figures riding on the container. A large crowd of supporters and party workers participated, waving Pakistani and PTI flags and carrying pictures of the party’s imprisoned founder and former prime minister, Imran Khan.
As the procession reached the Northern Bypass on Charsadda Road, its last stop in Peshawar, Afridi briefly addressed the participants, thanking them for their warm reception. The convoy had initially set off from Khazana in Peshawar and was scheduled to reach Charsadda later that night, where the participants planned to stay overnight.
During their stay in Charsadda, Afridi is expected to address supporters at multiple locations before revealing the next phase of the protest. The long march entered its sixth day since commencing on October 4, having spent the previous night at various points in Peshawar amid widespread mobile phone and internet outages across much of the city.
The convoy had left Khyber district on Thursday, with marchers camping at different spots within Peshawar. Afridi himself arrived separately at Kabootar Chowk around midnight, addressed the gathering briefly, and then departed while the workers remained.
the march’s schedule, Afridi is set to speak at a rally at Farooq-e-Azam Chowk in Charsadda at 2 pm on Saturday, where further developments regarding the protest are anticipated.
