Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has reiterated that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) will proceed with its planned October 4 long march towards Islamabad, as government and opposition representatives prepare for a second round of talks.
Afridi said the PTI had the constitutional right to peaceful protest and maintained that his government would not allow a repeat of the violence witnessed on May 9.
The PTI had originally announced the march for September 27 against the continued imprisonment of party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, but later postponed it to October 4. The party has maintained that the protest will proceed on the revised date.
PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Secretary Information Shaukat Yousafzai has said the march will begin from the province’s southern districts and be led by Chief Minister Afridi.
The latest developments come as government and opposition representatives are scheduled to hold their second round of talks at the National Assembly Speaker’s Chambers. The first round, chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, saw both sides exchange their positions on the political situation and the proposed PTI protest.
According to reports, the PTI is seeking access to Imran Khan and his transfer to a hospital for medical treatment, while the government has called for the October 4 march to be withdrawn.
The political negotiations are taking place amid heightened tensions over the planned protest. Federal officials have discussed the possibility of constitutional measures in KP if the situation deteriorates, while the PTI has opposed such a move.
Meanwhile, the military leadership has warned that any attempt to create unrest or a situation similar to May 9 would be dealt with under the law. The warning was issued during the 277th Corps Commanders’ Conference in Rawalpindi.
The government and PTI are continuing discussions as preparations for the October 4 protest remain underway.
