Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has alleged that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, in coordination with elements of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has prepared a plan to create unrest and violence during the planned October 4 long march toward Islamabad.
In a post on X, Asif alleged that the provincial government had the backing of its political leadership and was planning to use the long march to create disorder in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and elsewhere in Pakistan. The allegations come as the PTI prepares for the march from Peshawar to Islamabad, with government and opposition representatives also engaged in talks over the political situation.
Asif warned that any attempt to recreate violence similar to the May 9, 2023 events would be dealt with decisively, saying the warning was directed at the PTI-led provincial government and the organizers of the march.
He said understanding the alleged plan required examining the events surrounding the July 2024 attack on Bannu Cantonment. According to Asif, the attack was carried out by the Gul Bahadur faction of the TTP, killing eight security personnel.
Asif further alleged that four days after the attack, a violent protest was held in Bannu on July 19, during which elements associated with PTI and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) joined the demonstration. He claimed that instead of protesting against the terrorist attack, protesters moved toward the cantonment’s supply depot, entered through a damaged section of its wall and began looting, followed by an exchange of fire with security forces.
The defence minister alleged that the October 4 long march would be taken through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and claimed that preparations were underway to create disorder around military and police installations under the cover of political activity.
He warned that any attempt to carry out violence similar to the May 9 events would be “completely crushed,” adding that those involved in violent attacks would be dealt with as terrorists.
Asif stressed that political struggle and armed rebellion were fundamentally different, saying peaceful political activity was a recognized democratic practice but that any attempt to launch an armed rebellion in cooperation with what he described as India-sponsored TTP would be treated as an attack on Pakistan’s territorial integrity.
He said the state would use all available means to defend the country.
The allegations come amid heightened political and security tensions surrounding the PTI’s planned October 4 march. The party had originally scheduled the march for September 27 before postponing it to October 4.
PTI has rejected allegations that it facilitates terrorism and has maintained that its political activity is separate from the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PTI leaders have also participated in talks with the government ahead of the planned march.
