CM-KP says long march to pass through Khyber before Peshawar

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi said on Tuesday that the long march, which was originally planned to proceed towards Peshawar, would now first pass through Khyber before heading to the provincial capital.
Addressing participants at University Chowk on the third day of the march, Mr Afridi said the change in route followed the rescheduling of the march from Sept 27 to Oct 4.
“They were troubled when we changed the date from Sept 27 to Oct 4, and now they are troubled by the Test match,” he said.
He claimed that once the decision had been taken to march towards Islamabad, “no power would be able to stop” the participants.
Mr Afridi had launched the march from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat on Oct 4.
According to an official handout, he said that the era of illegitimate, imposed and mandate-stealing rulers was coming to an end and “our time is beginning.” Thanking the people of Kohat for their support, he paid tribute to their spirit, resolve and patriotism, saying that this was the very spirit and patriotism that had always been targeted. “My young people, your Chief Minister is afraid of no one, and the people of my Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are afraid of no one,” he said. He said that Imran Khan had to be brought out of prison and restored as Prime Minister.
The Chief Minister said he had released the draft of the Long March demands on social media and challenged the entire country and the international community to identify even one of the seven demands that was unconstitutional or unlawful. “If even one demand is proved to be unconstitutional or unlawful, I will cancel the Long March immediately,” he said.
He said the demand for Imran Khan’s medical treatment was not unconstitutional, nor was the demand for meetings with him or his release through due process of justice. “Why are the judges afraid? Why are the judges not hearing the cases? If the cases are heard, Imran Khan will be out within an hour,” he said.
He said, “I telephoned the fake Prime Minister imposed upon us and asked him to arrange a meeting with my leader, Imran Khan.
He said he would ask and let me know, but the meeting never took place,” he said. The Chief Minister said the Provincial Assembly subsequently passed a resolution calling for his meeting with Imran Khan, but no progress was made. He said he also approached the Chief Justice of Pakistan, but received no relief.
Mr Afridi said three High Court judges ordered that he be allowed to meet Imran Khan, but those orders were not implemented. Similarly, he said, three Supreme Court judges ordered that Imran Khan be provided medical treatment at Shifa International Hospital, but that order was also not implemented.
He said his government had always maintained that political problems should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations. “Political negotiations were taking place, and there they were thinking about trading the lives and interests of Pashtuns to save their own positions. I condemn such a position of power,”