PTI 'still in two minds' over Sept 27 march as postponement talk splits party

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is sending conflicting signals over its planned September 27 march on Islamabad, with one leader hinting at postponement while the party’s spokesperson denies any such proposal is under discussion.

Advocate Naeem Haider Panjutha said on Thursday that the march could be called off if the government gave three assurances: free, fair and transparent elections within six to eight months, before the end of the financial year; the release of all political prisoners, including party chief Imran Khan, through the courts and due process of law rather than any deal; and a judicial inquiry into the May 9 and November 26 crackdowns.

“If these three demands are fulfilled, the march can be postponed,” Panjutha said, warning that otherwise the party would be “coming with no compromise, no retreat, and no turning back.”

Party spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram denied that any postponement proposal was being discussed at any party forum, telling Dawn that only the jailed founder could take such a decision. He said similar conditions shared with the government after the D-Chowk incident were later withdrawn on Khan’s orders after getting no positive response.

Separately, Daily Pakistan reported that a PTI leadership meeting discussed deferring the march to an October 5–10 window, though the September 27 plan has not been formally cancelled.

The government has approved Rangers deployment in Islamabad and several Punjab districts from September 20 to October 5, with Punjab seeking mobile and internet restrictions in Rawalpindi and Attock on the day.

Sources

• Dawn, “PTI ‘still in two minds’ over march plans”, https://www.dawn.com/news/2032491
• Daily Pakistan, “PTI considers October 5–10 for Islamabad March as All Parties Conference Plan takes shape”, https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/24-Sep-2026/pti-considers-october-5-10-for-islamabad-march-as-all-parties-conference-plan-takes-shape