Dawn
· collected 2026-10-08 · by Manzoor AliWaseem Ahmad ShahFaiz Muhammad
A PTI convoy led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi entered Peshawar on Thursday evening.
asserted
convoy → lead → evening
The route plan for the march, being carried out to demand the release of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, has undergone multiple changes.
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plan → carry → changes
While the party initially vowed to march towards Islamabad, its final destination seemingly remains tentative as the KP CM has yet to announce the plan for the trek after Oct 8.
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CM → vow → Oct
A post by the PTI’s official X account shortly after 6pm said the Afridi-led convoy had reached Hayatabad Toll Plaza in Peshawar.
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convoy → say → Peshawar
It also shared pictures of hundreds of supporters gathered to welcome the KP CM.
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It → share → CM
“The public has shattered the idols of fear and is standing firm with their leader Imran Khan and their elected chief minister,” the post said.
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post → shatter → leader
“God-willing, by the time it reaches Swabi, this caravan will become the largest long march in Pakistan’s history,” the PTI asserted.
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PTI → will → history
Ahead of the protesters’ arrival, an unannounced disruption of mobile and cellular internet services was reported since last night in several areas of the provincial capital.
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disruption → report → capital
PTI’s march began from Lakki Marwat on Oct 4, from where the protesters trekked to Kohat on the second day and then camped overnight on Oct 6 in Mattani, located on the outskirts of Peshawar.
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protesters → begin → Peshawar
It then reached Khyber on Oct 7.
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It → reach → Oct
The Centre had warned the party against any protests or gatherings in Islamabad.
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Centre → warn → Islamabad
However, the PTI decided to embark on the march after weekend talks with the federal government failed to bridge their differences for multiple reasons, particularly over the counterterrorism policy.
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talks → decide → policy
The march was announced as part of the PTI’s nationwide protest, initially scheduled for Sept 27 but was later postponed to Oct 4.
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march → announce → Oct
Gohar calls for reviewing counterterrorism policy
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said on Thursday that his party had never supported terrorism, adding that, however, the country’s counterterrorism policy needed to be reviewed in the light of changing circumstances.
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policy → call → circumstances
Gohar was speaking to the media in Charsadda, which is expected to be the next stop of the PTI’s march after Peshawar.
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which → speak → Peshawar
The PTI chairperson visited the residences of KP Public Health Engineering Minister Fazal Shakoor and MNA Fazal Mohammad Khan, whom the PTI alleges were abducted by unidentified men amid reports of detentions of its workers and members ahead of the march.
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PTI → visit → march
Gohar expressed concern over their disappearance and demanded their immediate and safe recovery.
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Gohar → express → recovery
Speaking to the media at their residences, he noted that 18 days had passed since Shakoor’s alleged abduction and his family had no information about his whereabouts.
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family → speak → whereabouts
He urged the relevant authorities to take immediate notice of the matter and ensure that Shakoor and Khan were recovered and reunited with their families.
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Shakoor → urge → families
Gohar said the “enforced disappearances” were a matter of serious concern and stressed the need for rule of law and protection of citizens’ constitutional rights.
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disappearances → say → rights
If such incidents were taking place in KP, they could also occur in other provinces, he further warned.
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he → take → provinces
He also rejected the imposition of governor’s rule or an emergency as a solution to the prevailing situation in KP, as federal ministers continue to indicate the possible enforcement of either of the two, citing terrorism.
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ministers → reject → terrorism
The warning of a possible emergency or governor’s rule had come ahead of the PTI’s long march and as talks between the opposition party in the Centre and the federal government failed earlier this month.
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talks → come → Centre
For his part, Gohar said political issues should be resolved through constitutional and democratic means.
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issues → say → means
He called upon the decision-makers to respect the public mandate and elected governments.
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He → call → mandate
On the security situation, he asserted that the PTI, its workers and supporters had never supported terrorism.
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PTI → assert → terrorism
He said the party stood with the state in the fight against terrorism, but the country’s policy on the issue needed to be reviewed in light of changing circumstances.
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policy → say → circumstances
“Terrorism, whether in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan or Sindh, is against Pakistan,” he said, adding that the loss of any Pakistani’s life in the fight against terrorism was a national loss.
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loss → say → terrorism
He called for the implementation of the National Action Plan through a unified national policy rather than politicising the issue.
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He → call → issue
Gohar also defended CM Afridi, saying he had never issued a statement in support of terrorists.
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he → defend → terrorists
He criticised what he described as attempts by some federal ministers to portray PTI as a supporter of terrorism.
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he → criticise → terrorism
The PTI chairperson said his party was still ready for meaningful and positive dialogue with its political opponents and expressed hope that Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would play a constructive role in the prevailing situation.
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Rehman → say → situation
He thanked the JUI-F, Awami National Party and Jamaat-i-Islami for opposing the imposition of governor’s rule.
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He → thank → rule
On the PTI’s long march, he said it would continue as per the decided schedule, with gatherings planned in Mardan on Oct 10 and Swabi on Oct 11, after which the future course of action would be decided by the party leadership.
He also criticised the imposition of Section 144 in parts of KP, saying elected representatives should be taken into confidence in matters concerning law and order.
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representatives → say → law
He urged all political parties, whether in government or opposition, to play their role in strengthening democracy, an independent judiciary, free elections and the rule of law.
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He → urge → law
Gohar said the federal government and the opposition needed to set aside their differences and engage in sincere, unconditional dialogue to help the country overcome its political crisis.
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country → say → crisis
Mobile services disrupted
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services → disrupt → ?
Though there was no word from the provincial government on the unannounced cellular disruption, a Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) official, however, confirmed to Dawn that the authority had ordered the suspension at the directives of higher authorities.
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authority → be → authorities
The official told Dawn the suspension was temporary and taken as a security precaution during the long march.
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suspension → tell → march
The official said the orders were conveyed on Wednesday night.
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orders → say → night
…and 19 more, not listed.
The Aporia
