KP CM Afridi reaches Lakki Marwat to lead PTI march on Islamabad

On Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi arrived in Lakki Marwat via helicopter to lead the PTI's long march, aimed at demanding the release of Imran Khan from Gandi Chowk on the Peshawar-Karachi highway. A special helipad was set up near Maidadkhel for the chief minister's arrival, and a video on social media showed a sea of PTI workers gathered at the helipad.

The PTI's convoy proceeded from Lakki Marwat, accompanied by a large crowd of supporters. However, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar criticized Afridi for utilizing a "state helicopter for a political march," asserting that it violated a recent Islamabad High Court order. PTI workers and supporters, led by former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, had also set out from Dera Ismail Khan to join the march.

Gandapur emphasized the peaceful nature of the protest and urged participants to maintain discipline and refrain from violence or confrontation with law enforcement. The march through Yarik and Pezu would culminate at Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, where strict security measures were in place, including a large police presence, armored personnel carriers, and bomb disposal squads.