PESHAWAR – Twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are bracing for major political showdown on September 27, but PTI leadership is now considering a change of plan. With roads blocked, numbers of arrests and detentions under 3-MPO and security tightened across the capital, the party is weighing October 5 as the new date for its long march.
As per available information, Imran Khan’s party is considering a major change to its planned September 27 long march to Islamabad, with a majority of party leaders proposing that the protest be postponed until October 5 to 10 as Islamabad comes under an unprecedented security lockdown. The possible delay emerged during a high-level PTI leadership meeting attended by Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja, Junaid Akbar and other senior figures.
The meeting focused on the rapidly changing political and security situation, with participants examining whether the September 27 plan should proceed or be shifted to early October.
According to the discussions, the extensive road closures and security measures around Islamabad were portrayed by PTI leaders as a sign that the government was under pressure. The closure of routes connecting KP and other parts of the country was also discussed as an indication that the planned mobilisation had already triggered an extensive government response.
But behind the scenes, PTI appears to be preparing for more than simply a change of date. The leadership discussed expanding contacts with opposition parties, including ongoing communication with JUI-F and PPP, while an All Parties Conference between October 6 and 10 was also considered.
The meeting also reviewed PTI’s organisational performance in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan and raised concerns over the roles of Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas. The situation surrounding jailed PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan was also part of the discussions, including the possibility of moving him to a hospital and potential concessions concerning Bushra Bibi.
September 27 plan still hangs in the balance
Despite the proposed change, PTI has not abandoned its September 27 mobilisation. The party’s campaign is centred on demands for Imran Khan’s release, constitutional supremacy and other political grievances, with KP serving as the main launching point.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is expected to play a central role in the mobilisation, while PTI and its allies, including TTAP, have described the campaign as a phased and potentially multi-day movement. The party has previously indicated that reaching Islamabad would not necessarily mean the end of the protest.
Its plans have repeatedly evolved as the authorities have tightened restrictions. One earlier strategy involved a massive convoy from KP being joined by caravans from southern Punjab and other regions, with protesters potentially gathering at the Punjab-KP border for two to three days before moving towards Islamabad.
A later plan envisaged KP convoys moving through the motorway towards Swabi on September 27, followed by a decision on whether to move towards Haripur and Islamabad. Multiple protest points have also been discussed across KP, including Attock Bridge, where groups from Peshawar, Khyber and Nowshera could converge.
Other proposed locations include motorway areas involving Malakand, Swabi, Mardan and Charsadda, along with Khushal Garh and Hattar.
PTI also considered parallel activity outside KP, including possible shutdowns in Lahore and central Punjab, mobilisation in Karachi and Hyderabad, and road-related protests around Quetta and other parts of Balochistan.
PTI workers have been instructed to reach KP ahead of the protest and bring supplies including food, water and mattresses, suggesting preparations for a potentially prolonged stay. Earlier estimates put the cost of the first day at approximately Rs450 million, with another Rs14.5 million required per day thereafter. Constituencies have reportedly been asked to contribute towards the mobilisation.
Party figures have at different stages claimed that as many as two million people could come from Peshawar, although police estimates for the number that could actually reach Islamabad have been much lower, at around 20,000 to 25,000.
Meanwhile, PTI’s preparations have been complicated by arrests and detentions. The party’s workers and lawmakers have been detained, while Imran Khan’s sisters have been held under MPO provisions for around 30 days. PTI has claimed that around 1,500 people have been detained.
Transport restrictions and warnings against providing vehicles and machinery have added another hurdle to the mobilisation.
Islamabad turns into fortress ahead of Showdown
As PTI debates its next move, Islamabad has been transformed into a heavily secured zone. Authorities in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock and adjoining areas are preparing for the protest, with security arrangements expected to be substantially completed by September 26.
The government has repeatedly stated that protesters will not be permitted to enter the capital. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other officials have cited court directions concerning public roads and highways and warned that force could be used if the protest causes violence or major disruption.
The scale of the deployment is substantial. Islamabad has sought around 16,000 personnel from Punjab and another 2,000 from Sindh, in addition to officers and other formations.
PTI Long March: Containers arrive at Chenab, Jhelum Bridges and along GT Road
Different estimates have put the additional police and paramilitary presence around the capital at 22,000 to 35,000 or more, while around 43,000 personnel have been cited for the wider Rawalpindi Division, including Attock and Rawalpindi.
Rangers have also been deployed in Islamabad and key Punjab districts, with the deployment authorised from around September 20 until October 5. Reports have further indicated additional army personnel and military vehicles around parts of the capital’s outskirts.
The government has also turned to a massive network of physical barriers. More than 2,000 containers have reportedly already been shifted to strategic locations, with some reports suggesting substantially higher numbers could be used.
No talks with PTI until postponement of Islamabad march: Rana Sanaullah
The barriers have been positioned around the Red Zone, extended Red Zone, Faizabad, Tarnol and Kashmir Highway, as well as major intersections and entry points. Some containers have reportedly been welded together, while spikes, nails, sandbags and soil bags have been added to reinforce the blockades.
Major routes connecting KP to Islamabad have also come under restrictions. Sections of the M-1, M-14 and GT Road, including routes around Attock, have been closed or restricted, creating major obstacles for any large-scale movement towards the capital.
Security preparations have gone well beyond roadblocks. Reports have cited stocks of around 110,000 tear-gas shells, along with anti-riot equipment and rifles designed for firing tear gas. CCTV surveillance has been strengthened, while authorities have sought additional funding, including a reported requirement of around Rs827 million for security-related expenses.
Hospitals have reportedly been placed on standby, while officials in some areas are adopting a wait-and-watch strategy until protesters approach Punjab and the twin cities. Security agencies are also monitoring possible alternative routes that could be used to bypass the main blockades.
With Islamabad effectively sealed at several key points and the September 27 deadline approaching, PTI’s leadership is facing a crucial decision. The party can proceed with the existing plan, alter the route and phase the mobilisation differently, or move the main protest towards October 5–10 while simultaneously building a wider opposition alliance.
Punjab govt seeks Internet Shutdown in THESE cities ahead of PTI March
