PTI Long March Advances Toward Peshawar as Kundi Draws Red Line at Attock

PESHAWAR / ISLAMABAD, — October 6, 2026 — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s long march toward Islamabad continued on Tuesday as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi led the convoy from Kohat toward Mattani on the outskirts of Peshawar. PTI says the procession will continue through the province before reaching Khairabad, where the party plans to announce the next phase of its campaign. (Dawn)

The convoy reached Kohat on Monday night after beginning its journey from Lakki Marwat on October 4. PTI supporters are expected to remain in the Mattani area overnight on Tuesday before moving toward Peshawar on Wednesday. The party has previously scheduled Khairabad, which borders Punjab, as the next major gathering point on October 8. (Dawn)

Afridi has continued to criticise the federal government's counterterrorism policy. Speaking to supporters, he argued that military operations conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over many years had failed to eliminate militancy and said he had proposed an alternative policy that he claimed could establish peace within 100 days. He also reiterated that the march would remain peaceful. (Dawn)

The march is now approaching a direct political and administrative confrontation with Punjab. KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said Tuesday that the PTI procession would not be allowed to proceed beyond Attock, which borders Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also questioned PTI's ability to move large numbers of protesters into Punjab and Islamabad. (Dawn)

Kundi's warning came as the Punjab government extended Section 144 across the province for another 10 days, until October 15. The notification prohibits assemblies, processions and gatherings of five or more people in public places, roads and other specified areas. The government cited security threats and the risk of terrorist activity for extending the restrictions. (Dawn)

The federal government has separately warned that PTI gatherings will not be permitted in Islamabad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif again urged the party on Tuesday to end the march and return to political dialogue, saying contentious issues could be resolved through negotiations. PTI has continued the march after weekend talks with the government ended without agreement. (Dawn)

The breakdown in negotiations was largely linked to disagreements over counterterrorism policy and the federal government's demands concerning the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PTI had sought progress on its political demands, including issues surrounding jailed party founder Imran Khan, while the government wanted the march called off. (Reuters)

For now, the convoy remains inside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and is following the schedule announced by Afridi. The next major test will come when the march reaches Khairabad and approaches the KP-Punjab boundary, where the PTI's stated intention to continue toward Islamabad will meet the government's restrictions and Kundi's warning that the procession will not be allowed beyond Attock. (Dawn)