‘Only Imran Khan’s Policy Will Prevail’: Sohail Afridi Says PTI March Starts Today

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf march will begin today, October 4, setting off from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat. He also reaffirmed his allegiance to Imran Khan’s policy direction and accused the federal government of pursuing failed security policies.

Afridi’s announcement ends days of speculation over whether the march would be postponed or cancelled after negotiations with the federal government. Those talks ended without agreement, and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the march remained on. Independent News Pakistan reported that the departure was scheduled for 1pm.

In an Urdu-language statement, Afridi said his province had borne the human cost of terrorism, military operations and drone attacks, and declared that his government would continue to follow the jailed PTI founder’s policy.

“Terrorism has been imposed on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said. “Because of the federation’s failed policies, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has always remained engulfed in ammunition and fire.”

“Military operations and drone attacks kill innocent people in my province, which is then called ‘collateral damage’, and the matter is closed with a single ‘sorry’,” he continued.

“Only Imran Khan’s policy will prevail here. The welfare of the country and the nation lies in that policy.”

The government had reportedly made progress in dialogue dependent on two central issues: cancellation of the Islamabad march and unequivocal support from the KP government for federal counterterrorism efforts. According to The News, government negotiators were dissatisfied with the provincial administration’s cooperation with security forces and law-enforcement agencies.

PTI raised its own demands, including access to Khan, his medical treatment, cases against party leaders and arrests of workers. The same report said PTI negotiators had conveyed that Afridi had authorised their committee to decide the march question, which fed expectations of a possible postponement or cancellation. Preliminary reports of substantial progress on a written agreement reinforced those expectations.

Subsequent statements from both sides showed that differences remained. Geo News reported that the final deadlock concerned access to Khan and his personal doctor, alongside counterterrorism measures in KP.

Following the talks, Prime Minister’s adviser Rana Sanaullah said the KP administration must fulfil its constitutional responsibilities regarding terrorism. PPP negotiator Sherry Rehman maintained that counterterrorism could not be compromised.

Afridi also challenged the language used to describe civilian deaths, arguing that the consequences for affected families cannot be treated as an incidental cost of security operations. His allegations about responsibility for terrorism and civilian casualties remain his own assertions; his statement did not identify particular incidents or provide casualty records.

The negotiations exposed a broader dispute than the timing of a protest. The federal government sought assurances on security cooperation, while the KP chief minister publicly challenged the policies under which that cooperation would take place.

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