ATTOCK – A police officer deployed in Attock for security duties amid the PTI long march has died after being bitten by a snake, while a police driver also died after suffering a heart attack.
Four police personnel deployed for the security of the long march have so far lost their lives in separate incidents.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has called a meeting of the provincial cabinet as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest convoy continues its journey towards Islamabad.
Afridi is scheduled to preside over the meeting, which will focus on matters related to the provincial administration. The details of the meeting’s agenda are expected to be made public later.
The cabinet session comes after the PTI convoy, led by the chief minister, arrived in Mattani near Peshawar on Tuesday night following its departure from Kohat. The protesters are now expected to travel towards Khyber before moving onward to Peshawar.
The change in route marks a shift from the party’s earlier plan. Afridi has described the move as part of the broader strategy for the protest, comparing the ongoing campaign to a Test match involving several phases.
According to the PTI’s announced schedule, the convoy is expected to reach Khairabad near the Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border on October 8. Afridi is expected to outline the protest’s next phase from there.
The march set out from Lakki Marwat on October 4 after discussions between the federal government and the PTI failed to produce an agreement. The talks centred largely on security and counterterrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the federal government seeking greater cooperation from the provincial administration, while the PTI called for a mutually agreed framework for security operations.
