PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has announced that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has postponed its planned long march towards Islamabad from September 27 to October 4.
Afridi made the announcement in Peshawar after a meeting of the party’s political committee, saying the committee had reached a consensus on the revised date. The march will depart from Peshawar on October 4.
The PTI had originally planned to begin the march on September 27. Reuters reported that the protest is linked to the party’s demands concerning the release of its founder, Imran Khan.
Afridi said the postponement was a political strategy and maintained that the planned protest would remain peaceful. He said PTI’s stated struggle was focused on what he described as the supremacy of the Constitution and law, an independent judiciary, media freedom and democratic rights.
The chief minister criticised the federal government over security arrangements and restrictions around Islamabad and alleged that roads and routes had been blocked to prevent the march from reaching the capital. These claims were part of Afridi’s remarks and were not independently established in the statement.
Afridi also alleged that PTI workers and provincial lawmakers were facing arrests and other restrictions. He accused the government of attempting to create circumstances similar to those following the May 9, 2023 events, while insisting that PTI would continue its political struggle.
On Imran Khan’s legal situation, Afridi said he believed the PTI founder could secure release if the courts provided what he described as proper justice. He also referred to alleged non-implementation of a court order concerning Khan’s medical treatment. These were claims made by Afridi during the press conference.
Afridi further said that negotiations would continue even after the long march and described the postponement as part of the party’s broader political strategy.
The announcement came amid heightened security measures in Islamabad and along routes leading towards the capital. Reuters reported that authorities had blocked major highways with containers and deployed large numbers of security personnel ahead of the originally planned September 27 protest.
PTI’s revised schedule now sets October 4 as the planned departure date from Peshawar, although Reuters also reported that PTI spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari said the party could potentially launch the march earlier if it deemed necessary.