Afghanistan opens Wakhan Corridor for direct trade with China

Monitoring Desk:

As negotiations failed between the federal government and the ruling PML-N and PTI leadership in Islamabad, PTI began its long march early morning on October 4, 2026, from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

CM Afridi blamed the federal government for failing to seize the opportunity for negotiations, while security circles and the Interior Ministry said negotiations failed because PTI refused to accept the federal government’s demands to openly stand against terrorism. State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry, while talking to the media, said that PTI was not ready to support the federal government’s anti-terrorism actions and had refused even to call the TTP a terrorist organization.

Meanwhile, security circles said that PTI was asked to cooperate in the repatriation of Afghans and to condemn attacks originating from Afghan territory, as well as the state sponsorship of terrorists, but PTI refused, stating that this was not its policy and that former prime minister Imran Khan, the founding chairman of the party, opposed sending Afghans back to Afghanistan.

Security circles said that PTI leadership was asked to meet the police’s demand for Rs42 billion in funds needed to procure additional personnel, modern weaponry, armored vehicles, and bulletproof vests to combat terrorists. Given that an additional Rs600 billion had been allocated specifically for counter-terrorism measures, PTI was urged to fulfill this police demand. However, the circles said that PTI refused, stating that it had already provided Rs1 billion and would provide another Rs1 billion.

PTI was also asked to fill vacant positions in the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and increase its strength from 500 to at least 5,000 personnel so that it could effectively combat terrorists, but PTI declined this request as well.

The government demanded that PTI stop providing funds to terrorists under the guise of extortion payments, or protection money. However, PTI said that provincial ministers pay protection money to TTP terrorists out of their own pockets, not from the Pakhtunkhwa treasury, and therefore the federal government should not raise this issue during the negotiations.

The federal government, however, was of the opinion that providing protection money to TTP terrorists not only strengthens the TTP’s economic position but also gives the militants confidence to harass more people in order to extract more money. PTI leadership was of the view that if protection money is not paid to the TTP, TTP militants would launch attacks wherever work on government contracts is underway.

Another important point was that the federal government demanded that PTI leadership, particularly the chief minister of the province and provincial ministers, attend the funeral prayers of army and police martyrs who had laid down their lives fighting terrorists. However, PTI replied that they would need to seek Imran Khan’s permission for this.

The government demanded that PTI mobilize public opinion against terrorism through its social media channels, schools, colleges, and seminaries and stand with the security forces to boost the morale of army and police personnel who risk their lives fighting terrorists. The government also demanded that PTI stop making speeches against the security forces. However, PTI’s negotiation team said this would only be possible if Imran Khan was released from jail.

The government delegation then asked for the release of funds allocated for areas where operations had taken place or were currently underway so that the local population could receive relief. However, PTI responded that its economic committee would decide to whom and how the funds should be released.

In short, the PTI team refused to cooperate in any way against terrorists unless jailed former prime minister and party founding chairman Imran Khan was released from jail.