• Afridi-led caravan reaches Darra Adamkhel en route to Peshawar outskirts
• Chief minister says ‘no one can stop us’ once PTI decides to march on Islamabad
• KP governor claims marchers won’t cross Attock, questions security arrangements for marchers

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi-led protest march reached Darra Adamkhel on Tuesday night on way to Mattani area of Peshawar district from Kohat, where he again criticised the federal government over its counterterrorism policy.

Demanding the release of jailed party founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan, the PTI protest march was launched from Lakki Marwat on Oct 4 after weekend talks with the PML-N-led federal government failed, with both sides blaming each other for the failure.

PTI Deputy Information Secretary in KP Ikram Khatana told Dawn that the protesters, who had reached Darra Adamkhel, would spend Tuesday night in Mattani, where big tents had been pitched to accommodate more than 100,000 marchers.

Before setting out for Mattani, the KP chief minister addressed PTI supporters at University Chowk in Kohat and criticised the federal government over its counterterrorism policy.

“Your failed policy did not end terrorism. Let me propose a policy under which peace can be established within 100 days,” he said, according to a statement released by his office.

He said he was “not afraid of anyone and neither are the youth of KP”.

“I have shared the draft of my demands on social media,” he continued, referring to a set of proposals he said he had sent to the team negotiating with the Centre over weekend.

He declared that if any of his demands was unconstitutional or illegal, he would cancel the march. He rued that the PTI had employed all legal and constitutional means for the fulfillment of its demands, including meetings with the incarcerated ex-premier. “When justice is not served, the Constitution allows peaceful protest,” he added.

He asserted that the PTI would protest peacefully. He maintained that the people wanted a resolution of their issues through the provincial government’s policy, adding that there had been military operations in KP for the past 22 years, but terrorism was still prevalent.

“Your failed policy did not end terrorism. Let me propose a policy under which peace can be established in 100 days,” he remarked.

He said once they decided to move to Islamabad, nobody would be able to stop them.

By Oct 8, the protesters aim to reach the Khairabad area of Nowshera, which borders Punjab, where the KP chief minister will announce the next plan of action.

Governor’s warning

Meanwhile, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi vowed that PTI’s protest march would not be allowed to proceed beyond Attock district in Punjab, saying the party “did not have the capacity” to do so.

Speaking to Geo News, he said: “They cannot go any further than Attock”, challenging the PTI to “try to take a step”.

He contended that the party did not have “enough capacity” to march further. “They claim to have two million people with them […] show us the people; they don’t have the capacity.”

He said the province was suffering from terrorism and “yet, they [PTI] want to march to Islamabad instead”.

About his recent meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, he said the two discussed dialogue with the PTI, as well as the way forward in relation to the march.

He cautioned if there was a mishap during the march, especially if someone from southern KP who wanted to reach Islamabad to carry out a plot [is involved], what screening mechanisms did the PTI-led KP government have in place to prevent that from happening.

About the possibility of governor’s rule in KP, Mr Kundi said, “If the president and prime minister hand the task to the province […] and deem governor’s rule necessary, the province will ensure its implementation.”

He held that governor’s rule was the last resort. “Surgery is the last option; first, you are put on medication. No one wishes to do it,” he said, referring to governor’s rule.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026