ISLAMABAD – Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court on Monday ordered blocking of passports belonging to a group of PTI lawmakers and other suspects as the party races towards its planned September 27 march on Islamabad.
The order, issued by Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain, directs the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to keep the passports blocked until further orders.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has repeatedly declared that September 27 is a firm date for the party’s mobilisation, while PTI leaders have been stepping up preparations across the country.
Those who face blocked passports include Sohail Afridi, Asad Qaiser, Sheram Taqi, Shah Ahmed, Sher Ali Arbab, Muhammad Iqbal Afridi, Dr Amjad Ali, Junaid Akbar, Shahid Khattak, Zubair Wazir, Omar Ayub, Arshad Umarzai, Zar Alam, Mian Umar, Akhtar Khan, Humayun Khan, Riaz Khan, Abdul Kabir Khan, Tufail Anjum, Asif Mehsud, Ajab Gul, Muhammad Usman, Babar Saleem Swati, Irfan Saleem, Advocate Ali Zaman and Malik Shahab, besides other nominated individuals.
The police told the court that several suspects had yet to appear before it. Investigators further alleged that some individuals who had obtained interim bail had not joined the investigation.
The court, after reviewing the available record, accepted the investigating officer’s request.
The passport restrictions do not amount to convictions. The allegations remain before the courts, and the accused retain their right to defend themselves through the legal process.
The prosecution’s key argument was the accused could potentially leave the country and evade legal proceedings. That argument now resulted in a significant travel restriction at a time when several of the named PTI figures are involved in the party’s political mobilisation.
The case includes serious allegations concerning attacks on state institutions and the promotion of terrorism. However, those allegations remain allegations unless and until established through the judicial process.
The passport order lands as PTI prepares for what its leadership is presenting as a major political showdown in Islamabad. Afridi announced that PTI workers will move from Peshawar towards Islamabad on September 27, insisting that the date is final.
Afridi stepped up mobilisation efforts and directed PTI parliamentarians, office-bearers and ticket-holders to organise supporters in their constituencies. He has described the march as a decisive political mobilisation and called for preparations to be accelerated.
Afridi said the September 27 action would not necessarily be confined to one day or one location. He identified Islamabad as the destination but said Rawalpindi and Adiala Jail could also become part of the protest plan. Further details, he said, would be announced roughly a week before the march.
Afridi maintained that government machinery and state resources will not be used for the mobilisation. According to him, PTI workers will participate and the party will rely on its own resources. The date was finalised following consultations between PTI’s political leadership and TTAP, he said, with Mahmood Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also consulted.
Afridi has made it clear that the first and most prominent demand will be the release of PTI founder Imran Khan. The second demand, he said, concerns access to Khan for his family, lawyers and personal doctor. Afridi has indicated that the protest could be called off if restrictions on meetings with Khan are removed.
He also argued that Khan’s release must ultimately come through the courts, claiming that the cases against the former prime minister would lead to his release if they were decided on merit. PTI consistently rejected the allegations against its founder and other party figures and maintains that its political struggle is centred on the rule of law and constitutional rights.
With the political temperature rising, Afridi has sought to draw a line between PTI’s street mobilisation and violence. He described PTI as a political force rather than an armed group and rejected the use of force during the planned march. He also dismissed the idea that containers or other physical barriers would prevent PTI supporters from reaching Islamabad.
KP CM also acknowledged that the legal pressure could reach him personally before the march. Afridi said he could be arrested or disqualified before September 27. He claimed that a video statement had already been recorded in case such a situation arose.
On one side, PTI leaders are facing expanding legal proceedings, including restrictions on travel and separate arrest warrants. On the other, the party is intensifying preparations for a major show of political strength in the federal capital.
PTI has already begun mobilisation efforts beyond Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with party officials discussing preparations in Punjab and Afridi expected to undertake further campaigning there. The political stakes are consequently rising with each passing day.
For PTI, September 27 is being presented as a decisive confrontation over Imran Khan’s release and access to him. For the authorities, the continuing legal proceedings present a very different picture — one centred on pending cases, court appearances, investigations and allegations of violence and terrorism.
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