ISLAMABAD – PTI’s September 27 showdown is taking a new turn as Imran Khan’s party decided to rework its plan for the Islamabad march.
The development came up for discussion during a PTI parliamentary party meeting at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, where the leadership consulted lawmakers and party office-bearers about the planned long march.
PTI leadership reportedly proposed a phased strategy and instead of moving towards Islamabad, PTI could first stage sit-ins along Punjab border and use them to build pressure before moving towards the capital in the first week of October.
The proposed protest points include Attock Bridge, the motorway near Hazro, Haripur, Khushal Garh in Kohat and Nathia Gali. But not everyone in the meeting was agree with it, considering the build-up ahead of the protest.
Several lawmakers and party leaders reportedly argued that September 27 should remain the main day of action, with the caravan moving towards Islamabad instead of waiting until October. They reportedly insisted that the protest should not be limited to border sit-ins. The disagreement meant that the meeting, which continued for around two hours, ended without a final consensus on the complete protest strategy.
PTI leadership told participants that the government’s restrictions could themselves be used to demonstrate the impact of the planned protest. The proposed sit-ins, they argued, could put further pressure on the federal government while keeping the movement active at multiple locations.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan have said that the party is “not playing a T20 but a Test match.” The message suggests that the leadership is preparing for a longer political confrontation rather than treating September 27 as a single-day event.
PTI sources say the long march will start from Peshawar on September 27, with a caravan led by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi expected to travel along the GT Road towards Attock.
Islamabad Fortified ahead of PTI protest
The federal capital has been placed under heightened security ahead of a series of planned political protests, including PTI’s September 27 long march. More than 23,000 security personnel are expected to be deployed across Islamabad, while containers have been positioned on major and minor roads to block routes if required.
Red Zone, housing key government buildings and foreign embassies, has been completely sealed. Sources said Islamabad Police had sought more than 1,000 containers to secure sensitive areas and entry and exit points.
Meanwhile, thousands of trucks, trailers, containers and other heavy vehicles have reportedly been taken into custody in Islamabad and Rawalpindi for possible use in road closures.
