PTI begins first phase of long march amid mounting political tensions

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday launched the first phase of its long march from Lakki Marwat to Swabi amid a government-opposition deadlock and mounting political tensions, with no plan for a march towards Islamabad announced so far. According to the post on X by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the first phase of the long march would begin today, October 4, at 1pm from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, where caravans arriving from different districts would join. انشأللہ آج گنڈی چوک لکی مروت سے ہم لانگ مارچ کا پہلا مرحلہ شروع کریں گے- آج بروز اتوار، 4 اکتوبر، دوپہر ایک بجے گنڈی چوک لکی مروت سے ٹانک، ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان، ساؤتھ وزیرستان، نارتھ وزیرستان، بنوں اور لکی مروت کے اضلاع سے تعلق رکھنے والے غیور پاکستانی لانگ مارچ کا حصہ بنیں گے۔ رات… — Sohail Afridi (@SohailAfridiISF) October 3, 2026 He said caravans from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat would join the long march at Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat. The participants will stay overnight near Karak. "On Monday, October 5, people from Karak will join the long march at noon. The caravan will depart at 12:30pm and stay overnight near Kohat," the statement said ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان سے گنڈی چوک روانگی کے لیے قافلہ تیار pic.twitter.com/UDAJtziO56 — Junaid Akbar (@JunaidAkbarMNA) October 4, 2026 It further added that on Tuesday, October 6, caravans from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai would join at noon. The caravan would depart from Kohat towards Peshawar and stay overnight near Matni in Peshawar. "On Wednesday, October 7, the caravan will depart from Budh Bair in Peshawar at 12:30pm, where people from Khyber district will also join the long march. Caravans from other constituencies of Peshawar will join the march at the Kohat Road bridge and motorway toll plaza, while participants will stay overnight near the Charsadda interchange," it said. ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان سے گنڈی چوک روانگی کے لیے قافلہ تیار،اپنے قائد عمران خان کے نظریے پر قربانی کے جزبہ سے سرشار نوجوان پورے ملک سے آج لانگ مارچ میں شرکت کے لیے نکل رہے ہیں۔ pic.twitter.com/04GWcX0qJ8 — PTI (@PTIofficial) October 4, 2026 On Thursday, October 8, the caravan will depart from the Charsadda interchange at 12:30pm, where caravans from Charsadda and Mohmand will join. According to the statement, people from across K-P would gather at Khairabad on October 8 and stay there overnight. The next phase of the long march will also be announced at Khairabad. No breakthrough after marathon PTI-govt talks Marathon talks between the government and opposition on Saturday failed to find a middle ground in an effort to break the deadlock over the PTI's long march, as both sides pressed competing demands and remained at an impasse. The talks, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, followed an initial round on Friday in which the two sides exchanged their positions but failed to reach an agreement. PTI leader Asad Qaiser confirmed that the talks ended without reaching an agreement. The two sides remained divided over who should take the first step to ease tensions surrounding the opposition party's planned march. The government wanted the PTI to take the initiative by cancelling the march, while the opposition wanted the government to first facilitate a meeting with its jailed founder, according to sources familiar with the talks. Read: Afridi adamant on PTI demands as Naqvi accuses K-P govt of backtracking on commitments during talks Members of the two negotiating teams were also seen stepping outside the National Assembly speaker's chamber to consult with one another during the discussions. The sources said the two sides had reached agreement on all points by 9pm, but the talks ran into a fresh hurdle after Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai raised a different position. Achakzai said the authority to call off the march rested with PTI founder Imran Khan and CM Afridi, according to the sources. The sources said Achakzai's position led to a deadlock, while tensions increased after Afridi posted about the march on social media platform X. The sources said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wanted the issues to be resolved through negotiations This development followed the second round of talks between the government, the PPP and the opposition, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. The talks were convened as the October 4 deadline for the PTI-backed long march approached. Read more: CM Afridi lays out K-P long march schedule amid govt-PTI deadlock in talks According to sources, the government agreed to several demands during the negotiations, including facilitating a meeting between opposition leaders and Imran Khan. Sources also said an understanding was reached regarding the release of some leaders and workers detained under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), including Imran's three sisters. The government also reportedly agreed to consider implementing the Supreme Court's August order concerning Imran's treatment at a private hospital and offered to establish a committee to examine complaints regarding the shrinking political space for the opposition.