Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was leading a convoy from Kohat to Mattani, located on the outskirts of Peshawar, as the PTI resumed its protest march to demand the release of jailed party founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan.
asserted
PTI → lead → Khan
PTI Information Deputy Secretary in KP Ikram Khatana told Dawn that the protesters would spend the night in Mattani.
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protesters → tell → Mattani
The march began on Sunday (Oct 4) from Lakki Marwat, and the Afridi-led convoy reached Kohat on Monday night.
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convoy → begin → night
The protesters aim to reach Khairabad — which borders Punjab — by Oct 8, where the KP chief minister will announce the next plan of action.
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minister → aim → action
And while the plan for the trek beyond Khairabad is yet to be announced, the PTI — which is in the government in KP and in the opposition in the Centre — had previously announced Islamabad as its final destination.
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which → announce → destination
However, the Centre has warned the party against any protest or gatherings in Islamabad.
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Centre → warn → Islamabad
But, PTI decided to embark on the march after weekend talks with the federal government to bridge their differences failed for multiple reasons, particularly over the counterterrorism policy.
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talks → decide → policy
Before setting out for Mattani, CM Afridi addressed the PTI supporters at University Chowk in Kohat and criticised the federal government over its counterterrorism policy.
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Afridi → set → policy
“Your failed policy did not end terrorism. Let me propose a policy under which peace can be established in 100 days,” he said, according to a statement released by his office.
uncertain
he → fail → office
He said he was “not afraid of anyone and neither are the youth of KP”.
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youth → say → KP
“I have shared the draft of my demands on social media”, he continued, referring to a set of proposal he said he had sent to the opposition team negotiating with the government last week.
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he → share → government
CM Afridi said if any of his demands was unconstitutional or illegal, he would cancel the long march.
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he → say → march
The provincial chief executive rued that the PTI had employed all legal and constitutional means for the fulfillment of its demands, including meetings with Imran.
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PTI → rue → Imran
But when one was not served justice, the Constitution allowed for peaceful protest, he added.
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he → serve → protest
He said the PTI would protest peacefully.
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PTI → say → ?
He maintained that the people wanted a resolution of their issues through the provincial government’s policy, adding that there had been military operations in KP for the past 22 years but terrorism was still prevalent.
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terrorism → maintain → years
“Your failed policy did not end terrorism.
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policy → fail → terrorism
Let me propose a policy under which peace can be established in 100 days,” he remarked.
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he → let → days
He added that once they would decide to move to Islamabad, nobody would be able to stop them.
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nobody → add → them
Referring to the PTI postponing the launch of its march from Sept 27 to Oct 4, he said “they now have problem that this is Test match”.
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this → refer → problem
CM Afridi also said that there were reports that Imran’s health was again deteriorating in jail.
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health → say → jail
He said if “Imran’s health is played with or he suffers any harm”, the jail administration, prime minister and other relevant authorities would be responsible.
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administration → say → harm
March will not be allowed to move beyond Attock: Kundi
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March → allow → Attock
Earlier in the day, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi vowed that PTI’s long march would not be allowed to proceed beyond Attock in Punjab — which borders KP — saying the party “did not have the capacity” to do so.
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party → vow → capacity
Kundi made the remarks while speaking to Geo News programme ‘Geo Pakistan’.
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Kundi → make → programme
“They cannot go any further than Attock,” Kundi said, challenging PTI to “try to take a step”.
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Kundi → go → step
He contended that the party did not have “enough capacity” to march further.
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party → contend → capacity
“They claim to have two million people with them […] show us the people; they don’t have the capacity.”
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they → claim → capacity
Kundi said the province was suffering from terrorism and “yet, they [PTI] want to march to Islamabad instead”.
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they → say → Islamabad
Speaking about his recent meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Peshawar, the governor recalled that the two often held meetings to discuss the security situation, and during last week’s meeting, the two also discussed “dialogue with the PTI as well as the way forward in relation to PTI’s long march”.
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two → speak → march
Kundi cautioned: “If there is a mishap during the long march — especially if someone from southern KP who wants to reach Islamabad to carry out a plot [is involved] — what screening mechanisms does PTI have in place to prevent that from happening?”
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PTI → caution → that
He also assailed the PTI-led KP government for “staying silent” on terrorist incidents.
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He → assail → incidents
“When the federal government asks for their support against militancy, they say that the army should leave the province and that we should hold a dialogue with Afghanistan,” Kundi said, accusing the incarcerated PTI founder of “having militants settled in KP in the past”.
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militants → ask → past
“He was called Taliban Khan,” Kundi added, referring to Imran.
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Kundi → call → Imran
Kundi further claimed that KP Chief Minister Afridi was taking “directions from PTI leader Murad Saeed”, whom the governor described as a “runaway”.
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governor → claim → runaway
He vowed that Saeed “will be brought before the people and made to pay for his actions”.
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Saeed → vow → actions
Speaking about the possibility of governor’s rule in KP, Kundi said: “If the president and prime minister hand the task to the province […] and deem governor’s rule necessary, the province will ensure its implementation.”
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province → speak → implementation
He held that governor’s rule was the last resort.
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rule → hold → ?
“Surgery is the last option; first, you are put on medication.
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you → put → medication
No one wishes to do it,” he said, referring to governor’s rule.
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he → wish → rule
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
