Peshawar (The COW News Digital) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Secretary and spokesperson Shaukat Yousafzai has said preparations for the party’s long march have been completed, with the party maintaining three key demands concerning Imran Khan.
Speaking to the media, Yousafzai said PTI’s demands include access to Imran Khan, his transfer to a hospital and the early hearing of cases against him. He said these issues would remain central to the party’s position as negotiations between the government and opposition continue.
Yousafzai said the long march is scheduled to begin from southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 4. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is expected to lead the procession from the southern districts, while PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar Khan will lead the procession from the Malakand division.
According to Yousafzai, processions from the southern districts, Peshawar, Malakand and Hazara will converge in Swabi before moving forward toward Islamabad.
The PTI spokesperson said the party’s preparations for the peaceful march were complete and that a shortage of resources would not prevent the planned activity. He said the march would proceed as scheduled, while the outcome of government-opposition negotiations would depend on the government’s approach.
Yousafzai described the talks between the government and opposition as encouraging so far. He said both sides had presented their respective positions and that PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan would continue efforts to find a way forward.
“Barrister Gohar is a reasonable and accommodating person and will find a way forward,” Yousafzai said, according to the report.
He said the government and opposition had already presented their positions during the talks, while the next developments would depend on how the two sides proceed.
Yousafzai also reiterated that the destination of the planned long march remains Islamabad. He said the party was continuing preparations despite the ongoing political negotiations.
Commenting on proposals concerning governor’s rule or an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Yousafzai said such measures would not resolve the province’s political problems and could further complicate the situation.
He argued that if the government wanted to improve the political environment, it should allow PTI leaders to meet Imran Khan.
The PTI leader’s remarks come as government and opposition representatives continue negotiations aimed at addressing their differences. The talks are taking place alongside PTI’s preparations for its October 4 long march, creating a parallel political track involving negotiations and planned mobilisation.
PTI has maintained that its demands regarding Imran Khan’s access, medical transfer and the early hearing of his cases are important issues in the ongoing political process.
Further developments are expected after the next round of government-opposition talks and the PTI leadership’s consultations regarding the planned march.
