The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has delayed its planned "long march" from Peshawar to Islamabad. Sohail Afridi, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, announced on Friday, September 25, 2026, that the demonstration originally scheduled to begin on September 27 has been moved to October 4.
The postponement follows a week of heightened security measures by Pakistani authorities to prevent the march. The government curbed access to the capital, Islamabad, by blocking major highways with shipping containers and deploying tens of thousands of security personnel. These actions were taken ahead of the planned protest, which aims to pressure the government for the release of Khan.
Party spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari told Reuters that while the date has shifted to October 4, the party maintains the option to launch the march earlier if they deem it fit. The government has recently detained hundreds of party activists and three of Khan's sisters, citing public order concerns. Khan, who was ousted via a no-confidence vote in 2022 and has been jailed since 2023, maintains he is a political prisoner.
The situation carries potential for physical conflict, as the PTI's last large-scale protest two years ago resulted in deadly clashes between supporters and security forces. A person living in the capital or the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province would notice continued heavy police presence and potential disruptions to logistics and travel as long as the highways remain blocked. Spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari questioned how long the government intends to keep portions of the country closed off.
What happens next: While the new start date is set for October 4, 2026, the PTI spokesperson stated the march could begin whenever the party chooses. The government's roadblocks and the deployment of security forces remain in place as of September 25. The legal status of the hundreds of detained activists and Khan's three sisters remains a point of contention between the party and authorities.