Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday reaffirmed its decision to proceed with its October 4 long march to Islamabad as the second round of talks between the PTI-led opposition and the ruling coalition commenced at Parliament House.

Speaking to the media at Parliament House, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said he had spoken to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi regarding the long march.

“The decision to hold the long march remains unchanged,” Gohar said.

Second round of talks delayed
The second round of talks between the government and PTI has commenced amid reservations expressed by the PTI negotiating team over statements made by members of the government’s negotiating team.

According to sources, PTI expressed strong reservations over media statements by Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Talal Chaudhry.

The PTI negotiating team reportedly called for “serious” people to be included in the negotiations.

Sohail Afridi vows to proceed with march
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi reaffirmed that the long march would begin from Lakki Marwat on October 4.

In a statement on X, Afridi said the march would begin from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat and continue until, according to him, the supremacy of the Constitution and law and the restoration of an independent judiciary were ensured.

He said PTI was the country’s largest and most popular political party and maintained that the Constitution guaranteed the right to peaceful protest.

Afridi said PTI’s demands were in accordance with the Constitution and law.

He also levelled a series of allegations against the federal government and other political actors, accusing them of pursuing policies that he said had harmed the country and contributed to instability.

Afridi said the terrorism was primarily affecting the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan and should not be treated merely as a “narrative war”.

He said PTI founder Imran Khan had consistently opposed military operations against the country’s own population and the displacement of civilians, arguing that such measures were not a lasting solution.

Afridi claimed that peace could be restored in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 100 days through a change in policy, saying the existing approach had not produced the desired results.

He also said PTI would neither allow a repeat of the May 9, 2023 events nor allow anyone else to do so.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)