Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shafi Jan has announced that the party will launch a long march from Peshawar to Islamabad on September 27, claiming that around two million people will take part.
Speaking on Geo News programme Naya Pakistan, Jan said the party had been left with “no other option” after what he described as repeated failures to have its concerns addressed.
He said PTI workers had been protesting because “nobody is listening to us” and described the planned march as the party’s “last option”.
“We will leave Peshawar with two million people,” Jan said, adding that the protest would have an impact across the country.
PTI Leaders Differ Over Immediate Goal
Jan’s statement, however, differs somewhat from the position expressed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi a day earlier.
While Jan said the ultimate objective of the march was Imran Khan’s release, Afridi said the immediate purpose would be to secure access to the PTI founder, who remains in prison.
“Imran Khan’s release would take place in accordance with the Constitution and law, while the immediate objective of the march is to secure access to him,” Afridi told Naya Pakistan.
The differing statements suggest that PTI leaders are presenting both immediate and longer-term objectives for the planned protest. The party says it intends to pursue its demands through a peaceful political movement.
Imran Khan Remains in Prison
Former prime minister Imran Khan, 73, has remained in prison since August 2023 after facing convictions in several legal cases.
Khan and PTI have repeatedly described the cases against him as politically motivated and have denied allegations of wrongdoing.
Since his removal from office following a no-confidence vote in April 2022, the former prime minister has faced multiple legal proceedings, including cases involving state gifts and an unlawful marriage.
Some of his convictions have subsequently been suspended or overturned, while other appeals and legal proceedings remain before the courts.
Imran Khan to Lead Movement from Jail, Says Barrister Gohar
Party Demands Access to Imran Khan
Jan also claimed that Imran Khan’s sisters have not been allowed to meet him and said meetings with the former prime minister had been suspended for approximately nine months.
“The meetings with the PTI founder will have to be restored,” he said.
According to Jan, the party’s decision to organise the long march was taken because it saw no other way to move forward. He called on PTI workers to unite ahead of September 27 and said the movement would ultimately seek Imran Khan’s release.
He also said the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) had agreed to participate in the march.
Other Political Parties May Join
Jan claimed that PTI was also in contact with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and suggested that other political parties could join the protest.
He further said former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur would also participate, describing him as part of the PTI movement.
However, the extent of participation by other political parties and the size of the eventual gathering will depend on developments leading up to September 27.
‘September 27 Will Not Be a One-Day Event’
A day before Jan’s announcement, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said he would personally lead the long march.
Afridi said the protest would not be limited to a single day and indicated that participants would not simply return after reaching Islamabad.
According to the chief minister, the decision to announce the march was taken following consultations with PTI and TTAP leaders.
When asked why September 27 had been selected despite the date being several weeks away, Afridi said the timing was chosen partly because of expected weather conditions and to give the party sufficient time to prepare.
The planned march could therefore become a significant political mobilisation if PTI succeeds in bringing large numbers of supporters from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country to Islamabad.
For now, the party’s stated focus remains on restoring access to Imran Khan and ultimately securing his release through what its leaders say will be a peaceful movement conducted within the framework of the Constitution and law.
