Afridi Postpones PTI Long March to October 4 Amid Security Restrictions and Talks

KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced that PTI’s political committee had decided to postpone the planned long march from September 27 to October 4. The march is scheduled to leave Peshawar, with PTI maintaining that its objectives include constitutional supremacy, judicial independence, media freedom, democracy and the release of Imran Khan.

Afridi criticised the extensive road closures, containers and security barriers placed on routes connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with other parts of the country. He also alleged that PTI leaders and workers had faced raids and restrictions, while calling for constitutional and legal channels to remain open.

According to senior PTI figures cited anonymously by The News, the postponement could create an opportunity for negotiations with the federal government. They claimed PTI was seeking medical treatment arrangements for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, meetings with family members, party leaders and lawyers, and progress in Khan’s legal cases.

The decision followed a political-committee meeting that considered the heavy security deployment, mobilisation concerns and the risks associated with the planned march. Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, however, strongly criticised PTI and challenged the party over its decision to postpone the protest.