Sohail Afridi announces PTI long march, releases five-day route plan
March to begin from Lakki Marwat
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has announced that the PTI long march will begin from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat.
The first phase of the PTI protest will start at 1pm, with participants from several southern districts expected to join.
People from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat will take part in the procession.
The Lakki Marwat long march will then move towards Karak, where the convoy is expected to spend the first night.
Convoy to move towards Kohat
On October 5, participants from Karak will join the PTI long march before the convoy moves towards Kohat.
The PTI protest will continue through the planned route, with participants from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai expected to join on October 6.
The convoy will then move towards Peshawar and spend the night near Mattani.
The announced PTI march route has been divided into stages so people from different districts can join the procession.
Peshawar and Charsadda stages
On October 7, people from Peshawar and Khyber district will welcome the convoy at Budh Bair.
The Lakki Marwat long march will then move towards Charsadda Interchange, where participants are expected to stay overnight.
On October 8, people from Charsadda and Mohmand will join the PTI protest.
Supporters arriving from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will also gather at Khairabad.
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Khairabad to decide next phase
Sohail Afridi said the PTI long march will stay at Khairabad before the party announces its next phase and final strategy.
The PTI march route beyond Khairabad has not been fully announced yet.
The chief minister said supporters from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would gather at the location before the next decision is announced.
The Islamabad long march therefore remains dependent on the route and strategy that the party announces after the Khairabad gathering.
Political situation remains tense
The announcement comes as talks between the government and opposition remain linked to the planned protest.
The PTI protest had earlier been scheduled for a different date but was moved to October 4.
The party has continued preparations for the Islamabad long march while negotiations between the government and opposition have failed to resolve all differences.
The latest PTI march route gives supporters a clearer idea of the first phase of the journey.
What happens next?
The Lakki Marwat long march will bring together supporters from several districts before moving towards central parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Islamabad long march has not yet received a complete route beyond Khairabad.
The party is expected to announce further details after the gathering there.
The PTI long march could therefore enter a new phase once the party decides its next course of action.
