PTI May Shift September 27 Long March to October 5, Party Sources Say

• Party sources say PTI’s political committee agreed to move the march to October 5, Imran Khan’s birthday.
• A formal announcement is expected after consultations with opposition leaders Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas.
• The reported decision followed disagreements within PTI over preparations for the September 27 march.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) may postpone its September 27 long march until October 5, according to party sources. The proposed new date falls on the birthday of PTI founder Imran Khan. The party has yet to make a formal announcement.

The matter was discussed at a political committee meeting at the Chief Minister House in Peshawar, chaired by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, provincial cabinet members and parliamentarians attended.

According to the sources, committee members agreed on October 5 but decided to first consult Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, and Raja Nasir Abbas, his counterpart in the Senate. They maintained that the long march would take place even if its date changed.

The meeting also brought differences over the march into the open. Some leaders questioned the lack of visible preparations for September 27. Others said Afridi had announced that date without consulting opposition allies or PTI’s Punjab leadership. Most participants from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa favoured delaying the march and holding an all parties conference in early October.

A proposal to keep announcing different dates, rather than commit to one, was also raised as a way to maintain pressure on the government. Participants agreed to improve coordination among opposition parties.

Separately, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said consultations were under way about imposing governor’s rule in the province. Speaking to reporters in Peshawar, he said the measure was constitutional and had been used in provinces, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, before.

Kundi alleged that the province faced corruption, lawlessness and terrorism, and said its police were the lowest paid in the country. He also accused the provincial government of seeking to turn the police into a “Tiger Force” and said he would oppose any such move.

Commenting on PTI’s march, the governor claimed the party had made little preparation and predicted it would soon announce a postponement.