PTI postpones Islamabad march to October 4

PTI has postponed its planned long march towards Islamabad by more than a week, moving the protest from September 27 to October 4.

The party had been preparing for a nationwide mobilisation to demand the release of its founder, Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

A senior PTI leader said the march would now begin from Peshawar on October 4. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is expected to formally announce the decision.

According to the PTI leader, the delay would give the federal government and law enforcement agencies more time to deal with the ongoing road closures and security arrangements in Islamabad and surrounding areas. He claimed the party had already put pressure on the authorities by announcing the march.

The leader also rejected speculation that PTI would join Jamaat-i-Islami’s protest against the petroleum levy. He said the party was capable of organising its own demonstration.

The decision came a day after PTI lawyer Naeem Haider Panjutha suggested that the protest could be postponed if the government agreed to hold elections within six to eight months, release Imran Khan and other political prisoners, and investigate the May 9 and November 26 crackdowns.

PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram, however, had rejected the idea that such a proposal was under discussion within the party. He maintained that any final decision rested with Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, authorities have intensified security preparations in Islamabad and Rawalpindi ahead of possible protests. Punjab has imposed restrictions on public gatherings, while Section 144 is also in force in Islamabad.

The Punjab government has requested the Interior Ministry to consider restricting mobile and internet services at selected locations in Rawalpindi and Attock on September 27.

The federal government has also approved the deployment of Rangers in Islamabad and several Punjab districts until October 5 to assist with security duties.

Tarar accuses KP government of failing on security

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar meanwhile criticised the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over its handling of law and order.

Addressing a press conference, Tarar accused the provincial administration of failing to take adequate action against militant groups. He alleged that the KP government was providing political cover to terrorists, claims that the provincial government has not endorsed.

Tarar described the PTI-led administration as linked to militant groups and criticised Chief Minister Sohail Afridi over what he called a lack of response to security incidents along the province’s western border.

He said the provincial government should publicly support security forces whenever attacks or cross-border firing occur.

The minister claimed that KP had witnessed 2,456 terror attacks in 2026, averaging around 10 incidents a day. He said 472 personnel from the police, army, Rangers and Frontier Corps had been killed, while more than 1,500 people had been injured.

Tarar further alleged that illegal activities, including smuggling and unlawful mining, were contributing to the financing of militant networks in the province.

He challenged the PTI leadership to proceed with its planned protest while accusing the provincial government of failing to make adequate preparations