{
  "id": 11644128,
  "title": "CM Afridi adamant on holding long march, says will not allow repeat of May 9 events",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/cm-afridi-adamant-on-holding-long-march-says-will-not-allow-repeat-of",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-03T08:55:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2034465/cm-afridi-adamant-on-holding-long-march-says-will-not-allow-repeat-of-may-9-events"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is resolute in organizing a long march on October 4, determined to ensure a similar incident to the May 9 events does not occur again. This announcement comes as the government and opposition are set to engage in further discussions today at 2pm in the Speaker’s Chambers. The initial round of talks saw both parties present their views on various matters, including the long march. In August, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced plans for a march to Islamabad on September 27 to protest what they called the \"illegal imprisonment\" of Imran Khan, the party's founder and former prime minister. However, PTI later decided to postpone this march until October 4. In a recent post on X, Afridi emphasized that PTI is the largest and most popular political party in Pakistan, stating that Pakistan is a democratic nation with the right to peaceful protest. He informed that on October 4, a \"mass of people\" would depart from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat at 1pm, continuing their journey until the Constitution and the rule of law are upheld in Pakistan and an independent judiciary is reinstated. Afridi reiterated that all demands of the PTI are in line with the constitution and the law, and the party will not allow the repetition of the May 9 situation. Earlier in the week, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, a coalition partner of the PML-N government, called upon PTI to cancel the long march unconditionally in order to bring the country together to tackle terrorism and threats from neighboring nations. Bilawal welcomed the government's willingness to collaborate with his party and jointly address political issues. On Friday, Shaukat Yousafzai, PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Secretary Information, revealed that the party's protest march would commence from the southern districts and be led by Afridi. He affirmed that the march on October 4 would take place at any cost. The government and opposition representatives met on Friday, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, with the aim of easing the ongoing political turmoil in the country.",
  "summary": "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday remained adamant about holding the long march on October 4, vowing to prevent a repeat of the events of May 9. His remarks came as the government and the opposition are scheduled to hold the second round of talks today in the Speaker’s Chambers at 2pm. In the first round, both sides apprised each other of their respective positions on…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "CM Afridi adamant on holding long march, says will not allow repeat of May 9 events",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/cm-afridi-adamant-on-holding-long-march-says-will-not-allow-repeat-of-11644827",
        "published": "2026-10-03T09:01:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}