Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has finalised plans for a major protest march towards Islamabad on September 27, with party leaders describing the mobilisation as a decisive step that could reshape the country’s political future and spark a new “inqilab” (revolution).
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who will lead the march, first announced the date in early August at a large rally in Peshawar marking three years of former prime minister Imran Khan’s imprisonment. He later raised the target participation figure from two million to four million people and declared the date “firm and non-negotiable.”
This time, there is no turning back.
We will return victorious,” Afridi said, urging youth — whom he called the party’s real strength to join in large numbers. In rally speeches, he and other leaders have framed the march as the start of a broader revolutionary change if demands are not met.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed the plans this week, stressing that the demonstration would be completely peaceful. He said protesters would not attempt to storm Adiala Jail, where Khan remains incarcerated, or “conquer” the capital. The party would not use government resources and would invite other political parties to join.
The main demands include the immediate hearing of cases against Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on merit, restoration of access for family members, lawyers, doctors and party leaders (blocked for more than 320 days according to PTI), and ultimately Khan’s release. Leaders claim all legal and parliamentary avenues have been exhausted.
Party sources say the strategy involves a central convoy from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, joined by caravans from southern Punjab and other regions, with parallel protests and shutdowns planned in major cities including Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad and Quetta. Initial cost estimates put the first day at around Rs450 million.
While some internal differences over the timing and consultation process surfaced earlier, Afridi and Gohar have insisted that the full party leadership and allied groups such as Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) are on board.
The federal government has not issued a detailed response to the latest announcements. Previous PTI attempts to march on the capital have often led to security restrictions and clashes.
As preparations intensify, PTI leaders continue to portray September 27 as a historic opportunity for change, while emphasising that the protest remains a peaceful exercise of constitutional rights.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is currently in Sindh on a five-day mobilisation tour and is set to reach Karachi, where he is actively engaging and warming up PTI workers ahead of the September 27 march on Islamabad.
Afridi has been holding meetings and public interactions across multiple cities in the province to boost organisational preparations and rally support for the planned long march. Party workers have given him an enthusiastic reception, and he continues to urge large-scale participation, describing the street movement as the path toward securing justice for Imran Khan and bringing about meaningful political change.
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