CM Afridi meets opposition leaders as PTI readies for Sept 27 protest

Nasir Abbas meets Naqvi, says no one except Imran can postpone Sept 27 march

As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) steps up preparations for its nationwide September 27 protest, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday held meetings with opposition leaders to discuss the planned mobilisation.

The PTI has announced a Sept 27 march on Islamabad to press for the release of Imran Khan. The party has been preparing a central convoy from K-P, with caravans from other parts of the country expected to join before proceeding towards the federal capital.

According to a statement issued on X by the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP), CM Afridi held an “important meeting” with Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.

Read: IHC says political protests cannot infringe citizens’ fundamental rights ahead of PTI march

“The meeting included detailed political consultations on the Sept 27 call, with the participants discussing various aspects of the future course of action, political strategy and ways to effectively advance the democratic struggle,” the statement said.

It added that the leaders discussed moving forward with the Sept 27 call as an effective and organised political struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution, democratic rights, provincial rights and protection of the public mandate.

وزیراعلیٰ خیبر پختونخوا سہیل آفریدی کی قائدِ حزبِ اختلاف قومی اسمبلی محمود خان اچکزئی اور قائدِ حزبِ اختلاف سینیٹ علامہ ناصر عباس سے اہم ملاقات ہوئی۔ ملاقات میں ترجمان تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان حسین احمد یوسفزئی بھی موجود تھے۔

ملاقات میں 27 ستمبر کی کال کے حوالے سے تفصیلی سیاسی… pic.twitter.com/HeRdE1z5mU

— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) September 19, 2026

It was the second meeting between the three leaders this week. They had also discussed plans for the Sept 27 protest on Thursday after Afridi concluded his visit to Punjab.

The meeting came a day after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled that any activity resulting in a violation of citizens’ fundamental rights would constitute a breach of the Constitution.

The PTI has been seeking to turn its Sept 27 mobilisation into a joint opposition campaign and had begun reaching out to opposition parties last month. On Aug 20, the TTAP and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) announced plans to form a “united opposition” following consultations on cooperation and future political strategy.

Abbas, Naqvi discuss Sept 27 protest

Abbas also met Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. In a post on X by the TTAP, Abbas said the meeting had not been held at his request and that he had made no demands or contacted anyone for it.

“There is no complication in this meeting. If someone wants to talk about the justice that Imra Khan is not getting, the basic rights that are not being granted to him, then a solution should be found for that,” he said.

محسن نقوی سے ملاقات میری ڈیمانڈ پر نہیں ہوئی تھی، نا میں نے کسی سے ڈیمانڈ کی ہے اور نا ہی کوئی رابطہ کیا ہے، اس ملاقات میں کوئی پیچیدگی نہیں ہے،
عمران خان کو جو انصاف نہیں مل رہا ، بنیادی حقوق نہیں مل رہے تو اس پر کوئی بات کرنا چاہے تو حل ہونا چاہیے،

قائد حزب اختلاف سینٹ علامہ… pic.twitter.com/WR5rnNQeFD

— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) September 19, 2026

“This system has collapsed and this system has fallen on the heads of the public, and against this, the public is coming out to protest while staying within constitutional limits,” Abbas said, adding that the PTI’s demands were before the authorities and should be discussed.

He said he had informed Naqvi that “no one except Imran Khan can postpone the long march on September 27, and no one can sideline Imran Khan."

ہم نے محسن نقوی کو بتا دیا ہے کہ 27 ستمبر کا لانگ مارچ عمران خان کے علاوہ کوئی بھی ملتوی نہیں کرسکتا ، عمران خان کو کوئی مائنس نہیں کرسکتا

قائد حزب اختلاف سینٹ سینٹر علامہ راجہ ناصر عباس pic.twitter.com/kLaltAaE79

— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) September 19, 2026

The meeting came a day after Naqvi warned that anyone violating the IHC judgment and attempting to create unrest in the federal capital or any province would face legal action, including contempt of court proceedings.

Naqvi said the IHC’s detailed judgment had left no room for any attempt to create unrest in the federal capital or any province.

He said all law enforcement agencies had been given clear instructions that anyone attempting to come out in violation of the court’s judgment would first face legal action in the form of contempt of court proceedings.

“Secondly, we will stop them through any means possible,” he said.

PTI gears up for September 27

Under a preliminary strategy announced in August, the party planned to bring workers from across the country to K-P at least five days before the march. The main convoy was expected to remain at the Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border for two to three days before moving towards Islamabad once other caravans had assembled.

The PTI had also planned protests and shutdowns in several major cities, including Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad and Quetta, as well as demonstrations along important national highways.

The PTI’s August plan also included a funding and mobilisation structure for the protest. A committee headed by party Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja was tasked with overseeing finances, while lawmakers were directed to mobilise supporters in their constituencies.

The party had estimated that the first day of the march would cost around Rs450 million, with subsequent days expected to cost approximately Rs14.5 million each. It had also sought financial contributions from lawmakers and party figures to fund the campaign.