“Here, there is Imran Khan’s government and Imran Khan’s vision and policy will prevail,” he said.

LAKKI MARWAT: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday rejected the possibility of imposing governor’s rule or an emergency in the province, saying the PTI government would continue to follow the “vision and policy” of party founder Imran Khan.

Addressing participants of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march at Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, Afridi said the provincial government would not accept any policy that, in his view, harmed the interests of Pashtuns.

The chief minister thanked supporters for participating in the march and said the party’s negotiating committee had travelled to Islamabad in an effort to reduce political tensions.

Afridi Rejects Governor’s Rule and Emergency

Afridi said there was a “mindset that makes decisions behind closed doors” and alleged that attempts were being made to impose decisions on the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

“Here, there is Imran Khan’s government and Imran Khan’s vision and policy will prevail,” he said.

The chief minister told supporters that voters had elected a leader and that he would remain firm in the political struggle.

“We neither accept governor’s rule nor an emergency,” Afridi said.

He also rejected the possibility of another military operation in the province, claiming that successive operations had been imposed on Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa over the years.

PTI Claims 100-Day Plan Can Restore Peace

Afridi said the provincial government had presented the federal government with what he described as an “open policy” that could help restore peace in the province within 100 days if implemented.

“For this, there must be an intention, but their intention is not peace. Their intention is to eliminate PTI,” he alleged.

The chief minister further claimed that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had been used as a “laboratory” by the federal government for decades.

Referring to the period when Imran Khan was in government, Afridi said there had been greater peace in the province because he believed Khan’s policy was effective.

“After the regime change, terrorism was once again imposed on us,” he said, adding that the provincial government would work to end the violence.

Afridi Calls for Wider Participation

The chief minister urged supporters to participate in the movement, saying Pakistan’s future decisions would ultimately be shaped by its youth.

He predicted that large numbers of people would join the caravan as it travelled through Karak, Kohat and other parts of the province.

Afridi also called on PTI supporters to stand by Imran Khan, saying the party founder and his wife were in jail for the cause of their supporters.

He said PTI remained a political force and rejected the suggestion that the party could not achieve its objectives.

PTI Announces Long March Route

Afridi announced that the caravan would travel to Karak on Monday and Kohat on Tuesday before moving towards Peshawar.

According to the schedule announced by the chief minister, the first phase began on October 4 at 1pm from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat. Caravans from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat were expected to join there.

The participants were scheduled to spend the night near Karak.

On October 5, caravans from Karak were scheduled to join the march around noon before the caravan departed for Kohat at 12:30pm.

On October 6, participants from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai were expected to join the march. The caravan would then proceed towards Peshawar and spend the night near Matni.

On October 7, the caravan was scheduled to leave Budh Bair in Peshawar at 12:30pm, with participants from Khyber district joining the march.

Caravans from other constituencies of Peshawar were also expected to join at the Kohat Road bridge and motorway toll plaza before the participants moved towards the Charsadda interchange.

Khairabad to Host Major Gathering

According to the announced schedule, the caravan will leave the Charsadda interchange at 12:30pm on October 8, with participants from Charsadda and Mohmand joining along the route.

PTI plans to gather supporters from across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at Khairabad on October 8, where participants are expected to stay overnight.

Afridi said the next phase of the long march would be announced at Khairabad.

The caravan later reached Khatm-e-Nabuwwat Chowk on the Bannu-Karak border.

Afridi arrived in Lakki Marwat by helicopter to lead the march, where PTI workers gathered to welcome him.

The party said the march would continue until what it described as the restoration of constitutional rule and the release of political prisoners, including Imran Khan.

Long March Begins Amid Political Deadlock

The first phase of the PTI long march began from Lakki Marwat amid a continuing deadlock between the government and opposition.

The march had initially been scheduled for September 27 but was postponed to October 4. No plan for a march towards Islamabad has been announced so far.

Government-opposition talks also failed to resolve the dispute over the long march.

The negotiations, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, followed an initial meeting on Friday during which both sides presented their positions.

According to sources familiar with the talks, the government wanted PTI to cancel the march first, while the opposition demanded that the government facilitate a meeting between its representatives and jailed PTI founder Imran Khan.

The standoff remains unresolved as the PTI continues its planned march through Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.