Barrister Gohar says PTI’s Sept 27 march intact, Shafi Jan says postponed to Oct 5

ISLAMABAD/PEHAWAR: Conflicting statements emerged on Friday over the schedule of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned long march on Islamabad, with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan saying the September 27 protest remains intact while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan said the march had been postponed until October 5.

Gohar made the statement after meeting Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief and Opposition Leader in Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas in Islamabad.

“Our long march is intact. There is no doubt about it,” Gohar told reporters when asked about reports that the protest had been postponed.

He said PTI founder Imran Khan had authorised the party leadership to take decisions and that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi would lead the march.

Gohar said that the party takes political decisions through consensus and keep its senior allies informed about major decisions.

He also rejected reports that the PTI had asked its opposition allies to announce a change in the protest schedule, saying no such decision had been communicated.

However, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan told HUM News correspondent Waqas Buneri that the long march had been postponed until October 5. He said that PTI workers would leave on Oct 4 for the march.

September 27 was the original date announced by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and PTI leadership for the long march on Islamabad.

However, a meeting of the PTI political committee was held at the Chief Minister’s House on Friday and continued for several hours, with party leaders and representatives of allied parties in attendance, according to the HUM New correspondent.

Under the revised plan, PTI workers will set out on October 4 and move in phases towards Swabi, where they will gather on October 5, cut a birthday cake for PTI founder Imran Khan and hold a public gathering before proceeding towards Islamabad.

According to party sources, several proposals were discussed during the political committee meeting, with a majority of leaders agreeing to extend the date of the long march.

Under the new schedule, workers will leave on October 4, reach Swabi on October 5 and then proceed towards Islamabad in phases.

The conflicting statements came amid reports that PTI leadership had been discussing a possible postponement of the September 27 march.

Some reports said party leaders were considering moving the protest to October 5-10 amid heightened security measures and road closures in Islamabad and parts of Punjab.

On Friday, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi maintained that the September 27 march would go ahead under all circumstances.

The federal government has meanwhile deployed Rangers in Islamabad and several Punjab districts ahead of the planned march, with the deployment authorised until October 5.

Gohar said that PTI would come to Islamabad peacefully and lawfully and would not damage public property, while urging the government to engage with the party through dialogue.