Pakistan opposition party’s long march enters seventh day

A long march organized by Pakistan’s opposition, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, entered its seventh day on Saturday, as participants continued their journey through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the country’s northwest, local media reported.

Led by Sohail Afridi, the province’s chief minister and a close ally of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, thousands of supporters are taking part in an anti-government march towards the capital.

The PTI says the march aims to pressure authorities to release Imran Khan. It also accuses the federal government of restricting his access to lawyers and family, a claim the authorities deny.

The march passed through Charsadda on Saturday and is expected to reach Mardan, where participants will spend the night before heading to Swabi.

Afridi said he would announce the march’s next course of action in Swabi on Oct 13, with more PTI caravans expected to arrive from other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 13 and 14.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s federal government said on Saturday it would take all possible measures to maintain peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is governed by the PTI.

The statement comes amid discussions over possible federal intervention, including governor’s rule or emergency measures.

Imran Khan was Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 until April 2022, when he was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote.

He has been jailed since August 2023 and is serving a sentence in a corruption case he calls politically motivated.

His PTI party says the cases against him are politically driven, a claim the government denies.

His detention has triggered repeated protests, including a major march on Islamabad, the capital, in November 2024 that ended in clashes with security forces.

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