PTI has postponed its Peshawar-to-Islamabad long march until October 4, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said. The protest, originally scheduled for September 27, was intended to demand the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. Authorities fortified Islamabad with shipping containers and tens of thousands of security personnel and detained hundreds of activists and three of Khan's sisters. PTI leaders say they still retain the option to launch the march sooner.
Imran Khan's PTI Delays Peshawar-to-Islamabad Long March To October 4
People gather as police closed the Grand Trunk Road ahead of a planned march by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, PTI, from Peshawar to Islamabad, Pakistan, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Staff
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has postponed a planned long march from Peshawar to Islamabad until October 4, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi told reporters on Friday.
Cyclists ride past shipping containers used to block the roads ahead of a planned march by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, PTI, at Peshawar Morr in Islamabad, Pakistan, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Staff
PTI had originally planned to begin the march on September 27 to press for the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023. Khan, 73, a former cricket star removed from office in a 2022 no-confidence vote, has described himself as a political prisoner.
A family walks to their village after police closed the Grand Trunk Road ahead of a planned march by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, PTI, from Peshawar to Islamabad, Pakistan, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Staff
Authorities moved early to restrict access to the capital, blocking major highways with shipping containers and deploying tens of thousands of security personnel in and around Islamabad ahead of the planned protest by Khan's supporters.
Drivers stand beside beside their trucks as the M-1 motorway is blocked by trailers after police closed the road ahead of a planned march by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, PTI, from Peshawar to the capital, Islamabad, Pakistan, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Staff
Party spokesman Zulfi Bukhari told Reuters that, while the official date has been shifted to October 4, PTI retains the option to launch the march earlier if leaders decide to do so.
Men carry belongings as they walk to their village after police closed the Grand Trunk Road ahead of a planned march by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, PTI, from Peshawar to Islamabad, Pakistan, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Staff
"We can now do it whenever we deem fit. The question is to the government, as to how long they're willing to keep the country closed off?" Bukhari said.
In recent days, authorities have detained hundreds of PTI activists and three of Khan's sisters, officials said, citing a need to maintain public order.
The PTI's last large-scale protest, held two years ago, ended in deadly clashes with security forces, a reminder of the risks surrounding mass demonstrations in Pakistan.
(Reporting by Islamabad bureau; Writing by Kanjyik Ghosh; Editing by Toby Chopra and Louise Heavens)
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