The number of workers accompanying Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in the long march was between 2,500 and 3,000 as the convoy entered Peshawar at Kabootar Chowk.
Peshawar journalist Shehzada Fahad has claimed that, according to a provincial intelligence report, between 2,500 and 3,000 people were part of Sohail Afridi’s convoy when it entered Peshawar.
Shehzada Fahad also shared a video of Sohail Afridi’s convoy along with his post, in which the number of people accompanying the convoy appeared to be relatively small.
The difference between the claimed numbers and the actual turnout visible at the venue has become a key debate surrounding the Peshawar phase of the protest. While the party has sought to portray the march as a major show of public and political support, the initial scenes from Kabootar Chowk appeared far less imposing.
It is worth noting point that public is no more interested in street politics. There is also dearth of confidence in the senior leadership as the common workers fear arrests and imprisonment. They believe that the senior leadership only chant hollow slogans and disappear from the scene when faced with tougher situation.
On the other hand, seeing the lack of public interest in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march and its failure to receive the desired response, PTI has accelerated efforts to find a political way forward. Junaid Akbar, the party’s president in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has confirmed that PTI has requested Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to mediate.
Speaking to a private television channel, Junaid Akbar said, “We asked Fazlur Rehman to mediate.” However, he clarified that Fazlur Rehman was not invited to join the long march; rather, he was asked to mediate.
