ISLAMABAD — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has postponed its planned march from Peshawar to Islamabad from September 27 to October 4, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi told reporters, according to Reuters.
The march is part of PTI’s campaign seeking the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Party spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari told Reuters that although the announced date had moved to October 4, PTI could launch the march earlier.
The change follows days of heightened security around Islamabad. Authorities blocked major highways with shipping containers and deployed tens of thousands of additional security personnel ahead of the previously planned march. Reuters reported that three of Khan’s sisters and hundreds of party activists have been detained in recent days, with authorities citing public-order concerns.
PTI has criticized the restrictions and detentions. Khan, who has been jailed since 2023, says he is a political prisoner. That is his stated position; the legal and political disputes surrounding his detention remain contested.
What changes now
The immediate march date is now October 4 rather than September 27, but uncertainty remains because PTI says it could move sooner. Security restrictions and any further arrests or negotiations will be important to watch.
Updated Sept. 26, 2026. Source: Reuters reporting published Sept. 26, 2026.
