• CM insists detailed course of action to be announced in Swabi
• Says Charsadda will be next stop after Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi led the PTI’s long march into Peshawar on Thursday evening on the fifth day of the protest, promising to unveil the party’s next major move in Swabi as its eventual destination remained unclear amid changes to the route and disruption of cellular services in parts of the provincial capital.

The march, launched from Lakki Marwat on Oct 4 to demand the release of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, was initially billed as a march on Islamabad, but its route has since been revised several times.

Separately, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said gatherings were now planned in Mardan on Oct 10 and Swabi on Oct 11, after which the party leadership would decide its future course.

A post by the PTI’s official X account shortly after 6pm on Thursday said that the Afridi-led convoy had reached Hayatabad Toll Plaza in Peshawar. It also shared pictures of hundreds of supporters gathered to welcome the KP chief minister.

“God willing, by the time it reaches Swabi, this caravan will become the largest long march in Pakistan’s history,” the PTI asserted.

Addressing supporters at the toll plaza, CM Afridi urged them to maintain their determination for the “struggle for true freedom”.

“There might be some discomfort, but this pain is not greater than the pain Imran Khan is enduring in jail for us,” he said.

While Mr Afridi said he would announce the next plan of action after proceeding to other areas of Peshawar, he also said the public would be “thrilled” upon hearing his plan when he reaches Swabi.

He added that their next stop after Peshawar would be Charsadda, where he would share some details of the next course of action.

In a video shared by the PTI, Mr Afridi could be seen raising slogans of “Free Imran Khan”, with supporters chanting in harmony.

Ahead of the protesters’ arrival, an unannounced disruption of cellular and mobile internet services was reported since last night in several areas of the provincial capital.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2026