October 9: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi reached Peshawar on Thursday evening, its fifth day, The Nation and The Express Tribune reported. Afridi told supporters the next step would be shared in Charsadda and a detailed plan, which he called a “yorker”, unveiled in Swabi. Earlier on Thursday the Peshawar High Court issued a notice to Afridi on a petition alleging he used a government helicopter to launch the march, ARY News reported. PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan said the party was still ready for talks with the government and warned that an emergency or governor’s rule in the province would not be a solution.
Key highlights
- The convoy reached the Hayatabad toll plaza shortly after 6 pm, according to a PTI post cited by The Nation, and Afridi later addressed supporters at Bhana Mari Chowk.
- A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice SM Attiq Shah heard the petition of PML-N provincial lawmaker Qari Zahir and asked Afridi to respond. No next hearing date was given, ARY News reported.
- Gohar said: “We sat down for negotiations with complete honesty, sincerity and good faith, without any conditions,” and called for “a middle way”, The Express Tribune reported.
- Mobile internet was disrupted in several areas of Peshawar from the night before the convoy arrived, The Nation said. Afridi alleged that mobile signals had been shut down, according to the Tribune.
- Back-channel contacts continue: a PTI insider told The Nation that Gohar is in touch with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and both sides have approached JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to mediate.
What Afridi said in Peshawar
Afridi urged supporters to keep going for “true freedom” and said: “There might be some discomfort, but this pain is not greater than the pain Imran Khan is enduring in jail for us,” The Nation reported. According to The Express Tribune, he accused President Asif Ali Zardari of conspiring to impose governor’s rule and said he had been asked to approve military operations, an emergency and drone strikes, and had refused. These are his allegations; the reports carried no response from the President’s office.
The court petition
Qari Zahir’s petition says a November 2025 ruling of the Peshawar High Court bars the use of government resources for political activity, and alleges that Afridi flew to Lakki Marwat in a government helicopter on October 4 to launch the march, ARY News reported. His lawyer argued that the “use of government resources for political activities amounted to a violation of court orders.” The court has only asked for a reply; it has made no finding.
Where the parties stand on an emergency
| Who | Position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi | An emergency or governor’s rule could be imposed if the prime minister and president deem it necessary | The News (October 8) |
| Defence Minister Khawaja Asif | Governor’s rule would be a “last option” | The News (October 7) |
| PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan | Such measures are not a solution and would increase anger in the province; PTI is ready to respond politically and legally | The Express Tribune |
| JUI-F, Jamaat-e-Islami and ANP leaders | Opposed a possible imposition | The Express Tribune |
What Gohar asked for
Gohar did not set explicit conditions for new talks, The Express Tribune reported. He called on both sides to reconsider their positions, for an end to enforced disappearances, for information on the health of Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, and for an all-parties conference on counterterrorism and implementation of the National Action Plan. He rejected claims that the PTI or its provincial government supported terrorism, and said Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman had offered to help mediate.
The march, day by day
| Date | Where | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, October 4 | Starts from Lakki Marwat and Karak after talks fail | Dawn, The Express Tribune |
| Monday–Tuesday, October 5–6 | Karak to Kohat | Dawn |
| Wednesday, October 7 | Khyber district; Afridi says the march will go to Swabi | Dawn |
| Thursday, October 8 | Reaches Peshawar (Hayatabad toll plaza) | The Nation, The Express Tribune |
| Friday, October 9 | Charsadda (planned) | The Express Tribune, ARY News |
| Saturday, October 10 | Mardan (planned) | The Express Tribune, ARY News |
| Sunday, October 11 | Swabi (planned); the date to reach Swabi is not certain, The Nation said | The Express Tribune, The Nation |
What it means
Five days in, the march is moving slowly through its home province rather than towards Islamabad, which keeps it inside territory the PTI governs. That limits the chance of clashes with federal forces for now, but it also gives the federal government time to decide how to respond. The court notice adds a legal front: if the Peshawar High Court finds state resources were misused, it would weaken Afridi’s position. Meanwhile the back channel through the interior minister and the JUI-F suggests neither side has closed the door on talks.
What to watch
- What Afridi reveals in Charsadda, and the “yorker” he has promised for Swabi.
- Any federal move on an emergency or governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Afridi’s reply to the Peshawar High Court notice.
- Mediation by Maulana Fazlur Rehman or Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman.
Our previous report: PTI long march heads for Swabi as Centre and KP clash.
Sources
- The Nation: KP CM-led PTI’s long march reaches Peshawar
- The Express Tribune: PTI still ready for ‘meaningful, positive negotiations’, says Gohar as long march enters fifth day
- ARY News: PHC issues notice to KP CM over use of state resources in PTI march
- ARY News: KP CM announces next phase of PTI long march
- The News: PTI Islamabad long march live updates
- Dawn: Will not allow military operations, KP CM tells march participants in Khyber
The International Desk covers world and Asian affairs, diplomacy and conflict, with a focus on what they mean for India. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
