PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has announced the next phase of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march, with participants travelling through Charsadda and Mardan before reaching Swabi on Sunday.
PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa General Secretary Ali Asghar Khan said Afridi would lead the procession and stay with workers and supporters at each district stop. Participants plan to spend each night at the scheduled destination.
The party’s announced itinerary is:
- Thursday, October 8: Peshawar
- Friday, October 9: Charsadda
- Saturday, October 10: Mardan
- Sunday, October 11: Swabi
The schedule covers this stage of the march in the province.
Separately, Afridi criticised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi at Wednesday’s provincial cabinet meeting. He accused the governor of exceeding his constitutional authority by convening meetings with senior provincial officials.
Kundi chaired a security meeting on Tuesday to review conditions in the province and developments related to the march. Senior officials attending included the chief secretary and provincial police chief.
Afridi argued that the provincial government, assembly and cabinet remained fully functional. In his view, the governor lacked authority to direct officials on matters within the elected government’s remit.
Read: PTI March Heads for Islamabad to Demand Khan’s Release
“The governor is holding unconstitutional meetings,” he said.
Afridi announced plans to seek the Advocate General’s opinion on the constitutional status of the meetings. He pledged to oppose actions that he characterised as attempts to undermine democracy.
Pakistan Peoples Party parliamentary leader Ahmed Kundi defended the governor’s authority to convene law-and-order meetings.