Party sources say the September 27 march has been deferred, with reports differing over whether the new date is October 4 or October 5.
WEB DESK: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to postpone its planned Islamabad long march, which was originally scheduled for September 27, according to party sources.
Geo News reported on Friday that the decision was taken during a meeting of the PTI political committee, with party sources saying the march would now be postponed until October 5.
However, Dawn and Express Tribune reported October 4 as the new date, citing PTI sources. Dawn reported that the march would leave Peshawar for Islamabad on October 4, while Tribune also reported that the political committee had agreed to defer the march until that date.
As of the latest reports reviewed, PTI had not publicly resolved the discrepancy over the exact new date.
Political committee takes decision
The decision followed consultations within the party over whether to proceed with the march on September 27.
According to Tribune, a majority of PTI leadership had initially favoured holding the march as scheduled, but the political committee ultimately agreed to defer it.
Dawn separately reported that a senior PTI leader confirmed the postponement and said the march would now depart from Peshawar on October 4.
The latest development marks a change from PTI’s publicly stated position earlier in the week, when party leaders had maintained that the September 27 march would proceed.
PTI had earlier insisted on September 27 march
On September 24, PTI had publicly maintained that it would proceed with the march and instructed workers not to carry sticks, slingshots or weapons.
Party Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and other leaders had described the planned demonstration as peaceful, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had also backed the September 27 schedule.
Earlier discussions within PTI had nevertheless included proposals to change the protest strategy or postpone the march because of restrictions and logistical costs.
Express reported on September 24 that a PTI meeting had discussed postponing the march until the following month, although the party at that stage said it would not withdraw from the protest until its demands were addressed.
Security preparations already under way
The postponement comes after extensive security preparations by federal and provincial authorities.
The federal government authorised the deployment of Rangers in Islamabad and several districts of Punjab amid preparations for the September 27 protest. The deployment was authorised from September 20 to October 5.
The Punjab government had also requested Rangers deployment in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali from September 22 to October 5, citing the expected law-and-order situation surrounding the planned protest.
The Islamabad High Court has separately ruled that political parties do not have a legal right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas or government buildings, while directing provincial authorities to ensure that state machinery is not used for political protests.
PTI demands
PTI’s planned march has been linked to demands concerning the release of party founder Imran Khan and other political issues.
Dawn reported earlier that PTI leaders had discussed possible conditions for postponing the march, including demands relating to Khan’s release, fresh elections and investigations into the May 9 and November 26 incidents.
These are PTI’s political demands and positions and do not represent established government policy.
