PTI long march in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Where it is today and what happens next

If you have seen the words “PTI long march” on the news this week and felt a little lost, this post is for you. I will explain everything slowly, in simple words, from the very beginning. You do not need to know anything about politics to follow it.

The short version

A big march started on Sunday, October 4, 2026, from Lakki Marwat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
It is led by Sohail Afridi, the Chief Minister of KP, and it is organised by the party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The main demand is the release of Imran Khan, the founder of PTI, who is in jail.
The march says it is heading towards Islamabad, but so far it has stayed inside KP.
Today, October 11, supporters from all over Pakistan have been asked to gather at the Swabi Interchange.

What is a “long march”?

A long march is a very big walk or drive by a large group of people who want to send a message to the government. Instead of staying in one place, they travel from town to town, day after day. In each town, more people join, and the leader makes a speech.

In this march, people are travelling in a long line of cars, buses and trucks, which is called a convoy. The idea is simple: the bigger the crowd, the harder it is for the government to ignore it.

Who is leading it?

The march is led by Muhammad Sohail Afridi. He became the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in October 2025.

A Chief Minister is the head of a province’s government, a little like the captain of a team. PTI is the party that runs the government in KP. That is why the march can travel through the province freely: the people in charge of the province are also the people leading the march.

Why are they marching?

According to PTI leaders, there are a few main reasons.

1. They want Imran Khan released. Imran Khan used to be the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He is now in jail, and PTI says he should be freed. This is the demand mentioned most often in the news.

2. They say KP is not getting its fair share of money. Senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser said the federal government is not giving KP what it should get from the NFC Award. The NFC Award is the rule that decides how the country’s tax money is divided between the federal government and the provinces. Think of it like dividing a big cake between family members. PTI says KP is getting a smaller slice than it deserves.

3. They say promises to the tribal areas were not kept. Some years ago, the tribal areas called FATA were merged into KP. Asad Qaiser said the promises made to the people of those areas at that time have not been fulfilled.

4. They do not want another military operation in KP. A military operation is when the army goes into an area to fight against armed groups. Chief Minister Afridi said, while speaking in Khyber district, that he will not allow another military operation in the province. He also said past policies did not stop terrorism.

Please remember that these are the reasons given by PTI leaders. The government sees things differently, and I explain its side below.

Where has the march gone so far?

Here is the journey day by day, so you can picture it on a map.

Sunday, October 4: The march began at Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat. It was first planned for September 27, but the date was moved to October 4.
Monday, October 5: After staying overnight in Karak, the convoy moved towards Kohat and stayed there for the night.
Wednesday, October 7: The convoy reached Khyber district. There, the Chief Minister said he would not allow another military operation.
Thursday, October 8: The convoy entered Peshawar, the capital of KP, on the fifth day of the march.
Friday, October 9: The march reached Charsadda on its sixth day. Afridi told the crowd it was not just a long march, but the conditions for a revolution.
Saturday, October 10: The march completed one full week. Afridi spoke to a large crowd at Farooq-i-Azam Chowk in Charsadda, and the plan was to move on to Mardan.
Sunday, October 11 (today): Supporters have been called to the Swabi Interchange.

What does the government say?

The federal government has not agreed with the march.

Amir Muqam, a federal minister, said on October 5 that the march would not be allowed to enter Punjab or Islamabad.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asked PTI to end the march and solve the problems through talks. He has offered to sit down and talk.
Before the march began, a PTI team went to Islamabad to talk with the government. The talks did not solve the problem, and the march went ahead.
There has also been talk of governor’s rule in KP. Governor’s rule means the central government takes over the running of a province for some time. Chief Minister Afridi said he is not scared of this and that his movement is about more than power.

What happens next?

This is the part everybody is waiting for.

Afridi has said he will announce the next plan at the Swabi Interchange. Earlier reports said this would be on October 11, but the latest reports say it will be on October 13.
He has also written that the march will move beyond Swabi on October 14, God willing.
Nobody knows yet where the march will finally stop. Dawn newspaper noted that the final destination still looks undecided. The route and dates have also changed several times, so more changes are possible.

Why does this matter to ordinary people?

KP is a big province with millions of people, and this march is one of the biggest political events in Pakistan right now. It is a sign of the strong disagreement between PTI and the federal government. How it ends, by talks or by more protest, may affect politics across the country for some time.

Big gatherings like this can also affect traffic and daily life in nearby towns. If you live in or travel through Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda or the roads around them, it is a good idea to follow local news updates.

This is a developing story, and details may change. We will keep you updated.