PESHAWAR -UNS : Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced on Friday that the PTI’s planned long march towards Islamabad, initially scheduled for September 27, will now begin from Peshawar on October 4.
The PTI has been organizing a nationwide protest and march towards the federal capital to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
A senior PTI leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that the march would depart from Peshawar on October 4.
The leader said the chief minister would formally announce the revised schedule.
According to the PTI leader, one consideration behind the postponement was to put pressure on the federal government and law-enforcement agencies, which have already imposed restrictions and closed several routes leading to Islamabad.
He claimed that the party had already achieved some of its objectives through the planned protest, pointing to road closures and increased deployment of law-enforcement personnel in the capital.
The PTI leader also dismissed speculation that the postponement was linked to the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) protest march against the petroleum levy, which was itself postponed following a request from the prime minister.
“We are capable of arranging the march on our own,” the leader said.
The PTI’s revised schedule comes as authorities continue preparations for potential demonstrations and increased security measures in and around Islamabad.
