Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday launched the PTI’s long march towards Islamabad from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, saying the party would “not accept” any policy that was against the interests of the people of the province and Pashtuns.
asserted
that → launch → province
Afridi reached Lakki Marwat by helicopter to lead the PTI’s long march, which is being held to demand the release of jailed party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.
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which → reach → Khan
The march was launched from Gandi Chowk on the Peshawar-Karachi Indus Highway.
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march → launch → Highway
Addressing thousands of participants, Afridi urged the public to step out of their homes for the sake of Pakistan, saying their leader Imran Khan, along with his wife and sisters, was in prison and they should show the world that they were the “true owners” of the country.
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they → address → country
He said the “PTI’s negotiating committee had gone to Islamabad to lower the political temperature, but those making decisions behind closed doors had sabotaged the talks”.
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those → say → talks
“They wanted their will to prevail in KP, but I declared that only Imran Khan’s vision and policies would be implemented here.
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vision → want → KP
We do not accept any policy that is not in the interest of the people of KP and the Pashtuns,” he maintained.
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he → accept → KP
The chief minister asserted: “We are not ‘yes-men’; we are soldiers of Imran Khan, and we will carry forward his policies.”
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we → assert → policies
He repeatedly asked the crowd whether it supported a military operation, asking those opposed to it to raise their hands.
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it → ask → hands
“The soldier of the leader you voted for stands firm; we reject any policy that facilitates the purchase of islands and apartments abroad,” he added.
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he → vote → islands
He questioned the policy being followed to tackle terrorism, saying: “What kind of policy is this, where terrorism has persisted for 22 years?”
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terrorism → question → years
KP CM said there had been peace during Imran Khan’s government because his policies were sound, but following the “regime change operation”, terrorists were resettled, leading to “infinite terrorism”.
“We will eradicate terrorism, and if our policy is implemented, we will restore peace within 100 days,” he claimed.
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he → say → days
He said the long march was being launched from Gandi Chowk and would conclude at another chowk.
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march → say → chowk
At this, the crowd shouted: “D-Chowk.”
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crowd → shout → Chowk
“We are a political force and a party, and those who dream of the demise of the PTI can never succeed,” he added.
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he → dream → PTI
Afridi said the participants would leave from Gandi Chowk and their next stop would be Karak.
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stop → say → Chowk
PTI workers had started gathering at Gandi Chowk on the Peshawar-Karachi Highway on Sunday afternoon to participate in the long march.
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workers → start → march
Strict security measures were in place, with a large police contingent deployed at the site along with armoured personnel carriers and bomb disposal squads.
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contingent → deploy → carriers
A special helipad was prepared near Maidadkhel for Afridi’s and a video shared on social media platforms earlier showed a crowd of PTI workers gathered around it as KP’s chief executive touched down.
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executive → prepare → it
A video shared by the PTI on its X account showed Afridi’s convoy surrounded by a large crowd of party workers and supporters.
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convoy → share → workers
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar criticised Afridi for using a “state helicopter for a political march”.
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Tarar → criticise → march
Calling the use of the helicopter a “violation of the Islamabad High Court’s orders”, he wrote on X, referring to a recent ruling that directed provincial governments to ensure that no government resources or machinery was used to facilitate any march or gathering.
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resources → call → march
“Terrorism is spreading in the province and Nero is playing his flute,” Tarar quipped.
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Tarar → spread → flute
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also said the use of the helicopter amounted to contempt of court by violating the IHC order.
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use → say → order
“When the chief minister himself does not uphold the court’s orders and uses state resources for political activities, what expectation can there be for his workers to abide by the law?” Kundi wrote on X.
Special Assistant to the KP CM for Home and Tribal Affairs Tariq Saad told journalists at his residence that, in accordance with the PTI leadership’s decision, the “peaceful long” march would commence from Gandi Chowk today, with convoys from the southern districts joining it.
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convoys → uphold → it
He said PTI workers from Bannu, DI Khan, Tank, North Waziristan and South Waziristan would gather at Gandi Chowk to participate in the march.
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workers → say → march
“If workers from some southern districts, especially Tank and Waziristan, could not attend the long march today due to law and order-related curfew and other restrictions, they would join the movement on the way to Peshawar the next day,” he said.
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he → attend → Peshawar
Gandapur leads caravan from DI Khan
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Gandapur → lead → Khan
Earlier, PTI workers and supporters, led by former KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur, set out from Dera Ismail Khan to join the party’s long march at Lakki Marwat.
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workers → lead → Marwat
The convoy, according to Gandapur, would travel through Yarik and Pezu before reaching Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat.
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convoy → accord → Marwat
Before departing from DI Khan, the ex-CM stressed that the protest should remain peaceful and urged the participants to maintain discipline and refrain from violence, vandalism and confrontation with law enforcement personnel.
He said the party would follow a policy of “live and let live” during the protest and directed workers not to take the law into their hands.
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party → depart → hands
“Those who block roads or engage in confrontation are not our workers,” Gandapur said, asking the participants to remain peaceful throughout the march.
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Gandapur → block → march
He further urged the participants to avoid any activity that could lead to clashes or damage to public or private property.
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that → urge → property
Describing the march as a continuation of the party’s political struggle, Gandapur said it represented a reaffirmation of the party’s commitment to PTI founder Imran.
“We have made sacrifices for Imran Khan before and will not hesitate to make further sacrifices,” he said, adding that the party would continue its “peaceful political struggle” for Imran’s release.
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party → describe → release
The PTI’s march, being carried out to demand the release of its jailed founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan, is the latest bone of contention between the two sides.
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march → carry → sides
In August, the PTI announced the long march to Islamabad on Sept 27 against what it called the “illegal imprisonment” of its party founder.
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it → announce → founder
However, a couple of days before its scheduled long march, the party postponed the march until Oct 4 (today).
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party → schedule → Oct
Federal ministers have warned that the Centre would have no option but to impose governor’s rule or an emergency in KP, citing the province’s security situation and the protest call, while PTI has warned of dire consequences if such a step was taken.
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step → warn → consequences
After weekend talks, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has further warned that the protesters will not be allowed to enter Islamabad.
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protesters → warn → Islamabad
According to the plan for the march shared by the KP CM on X, PTI supporters from the districts of Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan and Bannu will join the long march from Lakki Marwat’s Gandi Chowk on Oct 4.
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supporters → accord → Oct
…and 18 more, not listed.
The Aporia
