PTI to Launch Protest March from Lakki Marwat on October 4
Soheail Afridi, chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest march will begin on October 4 from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat and will continue until the rule of law is achieved and an independent judiciary is restored. He said the party’s demands fall within the constitution and laws of Pakistan.
In a post on the social media platform X, Afridi said Pakistan’s constitution guarantees the right to peaceful protest. He also alleged that those who, in his words, have taken control of the country “by force” are pushing Pakistan towards crisis in order to retain power.
The march had been scheduled for October 5, but was postponed for reasons including security restrictions and the blocking of roads leading to Islamabad with containers. Security forces had also been deployed along these routes.
PTI supporters have previously staged repeated protests demanding the release of the party’s leader, Imran Khan, from prison. In another part of his remarks, Afridi alleged that following the “regime change”, terrorism had been deliberately imposed once again on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said terrorism is not an abstract issue for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan, and that citizens have been affected by its consequences. Afridi also quoted Imran Khan as saying that military operations inside the country and the displacement of people are not a sustainable solution, and claimed that drone strikes and what he called “collateral damage” have led to an increase in terrorism.
