PTI postpones Islamabad march to October 4: party sources

Majority of leadership had favoured holding the march as scheduled, but the committee ultimately agreed to defer it

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership on Friday decided to postpone its planned long march on Islamabad until October 4, with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi set to formally announce the decision, according to party sources.

The PTI had announced last month that it would march to Islamabad on September 27 to press for the release of party founder Imran Khan. The party had been preparing a central convoy from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), with caravans from other parts of the country expected to join before proceeding towards the federal capital. The federal government warned the party against going ahead with the march.

The decision was taken by the party’s political committee after consultations on whether to proceed with the march on the previously announced date of September 27. A majority of the leadership had favoured holding the march as scheduled, but the committee ultimately agreed to defer it until October 4, party sources added.

Earlier, K-P CM Afridi, speaking at a press conference at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, said that the planned long march on Islamabad would go ahead despite road blockades and other measures.

“Our long march will definitely take place. This time, we will definitely come out,” Afridi said.

وزیراعلیٰ خیبرپختونخوا محمد سہیل خان آفریدی کی 27 ستمبر بالقسط لانگ مارچ کے حوالے سے اہم پریس کانفرنس! pic.twitter.com/6UPL9CzRuC

— PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (@PTIKPOfficial) September 25, 2026

The chief minister criticised the placement of nails on roads at the K-P boundary, saying the move raised questions about whether the province was being cut off from the rest of the country.

“No matter how many nails they put in the roads, this long march will not be stopped,” he said.

Read: Rule of law, supremacy of Constitution to prevail during PTI long march to Islamabad: Gohar

Afridi also questioned what he called a growing narrative that one province faced threats from other provinces rather than India. He also said that officials from one province had entered another and clashed with government employees.

“A narrative has been created for the past month that one province faces a threat from the other three provinces,” he said, asking whether the people of K-P were being portrayed negatively.

He added that PTI parliamentary leader Shahid Khattak and the provincial information minister had been barred from appearing in the media.

شاہد خٹک تحریک انصاف کے پارلیمانی لیڈر ہیں خیبرپختونخوا سے تعلق ہے اسے میڈیا پر بین کر دیا گیا ہے اس کا کیا مطلب لیا جائے ؟ انفارمیشن منسٹر خیبرپختونخوا کو بین کیا گیا ہے کیا مطلب لیا جائے ؟ ابھی مجھے اطلاع ملی ہے کہ وزیر اعلیٰ خیبرپختونخوا کی کوریج سے روک دیا گیا ہے اس کا کیا… pic.twitter.com/G3flVPM6Cj

— PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (@PTIKPOfficial) September 25, 2026

He also said that K-P ministers were being taken away by people in plain clothes and that the province was being pushed in a different direction.

Afridi also criticised the closure of the provincial secretariat following a security alert, questioning why government operations had been halted when the area was already under security control. “The entire cantonment is under their control. How can there be a threat here?” he asked.

He said he had personally reopened the mosque inside the secretariat after it was closed over the rumoured security threat and offered prayers there. He also walked around the premises before urging people in K-P not to be afraid.

کیا آپ خیبرپختونخوا میں دوسرے صوبے کی ایڈمنسٹریشن لانچ کرنے جا رہے ہیں دوسرے صوبے کی ایڈمنسٹریشن خیبرپختونخوا کی حدود میں گھس کر کاروائی کر رہی ہے اسکا کیا مطلب لیا جائے ؟ یہ جو کیلیں آپ سڑکوں پر کھود رہے ہو یہ اس نظام کے طابوت میں آخری کیلیں ثابت ہوں گی ہم پاکستان کی حفاظت کریں… pic.twitter.com/A0L8VWE6ct

— PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (@PTIKPOfficial) September 25, 2026

“Till your CM is with you, no one will look at the province with an evil eye,” Afridi said.

Meanwhile, the PTI political committee was holding consultations on a proposal to postpone the long march until Oct 5. No final decision on the proposal had been announced. Afridi said further discussions would take place before the party formally announced whether the protest would be postponed.

He left for Charsadda after the press conference to attend a meeting.

Hotels closed in Faizabad

Meanwhile, all hotels within the Faizabad area have been ordered to close ahead of the possible PTI long march. Restaurants and shopkeepers have also been directed to close their businesses by this evening.

Guest houses and transport terminals at Faizabad have been ordered to close from tonight, according to police sources.

All hostels in and around Faizabad have also been directed to be vacated by tonight. Hotel, restaurant and hostel owners have been asked to submit affidavits to the relevant police stations, stating that their commercial buildings have been completely vacated.

Police have directed that action be taken against owners who fail to submit the affidavits by tomorrow evening, according to police sources.