Last Updated on September 25, 2026 by YeJahan
YEJAHAN REPORT
ISLAMABAD (Sept 25): Pakistan’s opposition alliance is navigating tactical differences after veteran politician Mehmood Khan Achakzai advised against a proposal by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to postpone their highly anticipated anti-government long march.
A senior PTI leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, told YeJehan News Network that the decision has been finalized and the long march will not take place on the 27th.
“The decision will be formally announced in a press conference,” he said.
The friction came to light following a high-level meeting of PTI’s political committee at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Peshawar on Friday, where party leaders decided to defer the nationwide protest—originally scheduled for 27 September—until 5 October. The session was attended in person by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Barrister Gohar Khan, and Asad Qaiser, while regional leaders from Punjab, Sindh, and Islamabad joined via video link.
However, the committee made the final announcement of the new date conditional on securing the blessing of its key coalition allies, Achakzai and Agha Nasir Abbas.
The consensus quickly unraveled during a subsequent telephone call between Chief Minister Afridi and Mehmood Achakzai. Sources close to the matter reveal that Achakzai, who serves as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, refused to back down from the original timeline.
“The march must go ahead on 27 September as planned,” Achakzai is understood to have insisted during the call, arguing that the opposition should maintain momentum and proceed in a peaceful manner rather than offering the government a breather.
Insiders say the veteran leader expressed concerns that any delay would demoralise supporters and weaken the alliance’s leverage against the current administration.
The impasse leaves PTI’s leadership in a delicate position, caught between internal elements advocating for a more cautious timeline and an ally demanding an immediate, resolute show of street power. Negotiations are reportedly ongoing as PTI emissaries scramble to bridge the gap and present a unified front before Sunday’s deadline.
The development follows an intense federal crackdown aimed at preventing the opposition from assembling. Over the last 48 hours, the government effectively locked down Islamabad, turning the capital into a fortress of shipping containers to block all entry points. Major transit arteries, including the M1 and M2 motorways, have also been closed to traffic to prevent caravan movements from the provinces.
The state’s heavy-handed security measures align with a stern warning issued by federal ministers earlier this week. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar clarified during a press briefing that the government would not tolerate any disruptions to law and order, explicitly stating that PTI protesters would under no circumstances be permitted to enter Islamabad.
Copyright YeJahan News Network, 2026
