ISLAMABAD: The PTI has postponed its planned long march towards Islamabad by a week, but tensions between the party and the state remain high.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Friday that the PTI’s political committee had unanimously agreed to move the march from September 27 to October 4. The march will begin from Peshawar.
The PTI has been preparing the march to demand the release of its incarcerated founder, Imran Khan. Afridi said the party’s struggle also focused on constitutional supremacy, judicial independence, media freedom and what it describes as “Haqiqi Azadi”.
The postponement gives the party another week to prepare for the planned mobilisation. It also comes as authorities maintain extensive security measures around Islamabad and routes leading to the capital.
Afridi Faces Key Role
Afridi, 37, has emerged as a central figure in the PTI’s preparations for the march.
He said the party would continue its political and constitutional struggle despite arrests and restrictions.
The chief minister also criticised the placement of containers and other barriers along routes between Punjab and KP. He alleged that the measures were intended to prevent PTI workers from reaching Islamabad.
The PTI has maintained that its protest will remain peaceful.
However, the political environment has become increasingly tense ahead of the revised October 4 date.
Security Measures Around Islamabad
Authorities had already introduced extensive measures before the original September 27 protest.
Punjab imposed restrictions on public gatherings, while Section 144 remains in force in Islamabad. The federal government also approved the deployment of Rangers in Islamabad and several districts of Punjab through October 5.
Road blockades and containers have been placed at several points leading towards the federal capital.
The measures have also affected ordinary traffic and public movement, while a petition challenging the closure of the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway has been filed in the Islamabad High Court.
Government and PTI Remain Divided
The federal government has opposed the planned march and warned against disruption of public order.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has criticised the KP government and alleged that it has failed to adequately address security challenges in the province. These are government allegations and have been disputed by the PTI and KP authorities.
The government has also accused the PTI of creating a potential law-and-order problem by attempting to bring protesters towards Islamabad.
PTI leaders, meanwhile, continue to demand Imran Khan’s release and have said they will pursue their political objectives through protest.
The party’s decision to postpone the march means the immediate confrontation has been delayed, rather than cancelled.
The coming week will determine whether the two sides can reduce tensions or whether the October 4 march leads to another confrontation around the federal capital.
