Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi held talks with opposition leaders on Saturday as political parties stepped up preparations for the Sept. 27 Islamabad march, according to the Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain-i-Pakistan (TTAP).
PTI has called the protest to press for the release of party founder Imran Khan.
Who did KP CM Afridi meet ahead of the Sept 27 Islamabad march?
Afridi met National Assembly opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, with TTAP spokesperson Hussain Ahmed Yousafzai also attending, the alliance said in a statement posted on X. The meeting focused on political strategy and coordination between opposition groups, the alliance said.
Afridi and the two opposition leaders had also met earlier this week to discuss the Sept. 27 mobilization, according to local media reports.
Why has PTI called for protests on Sept. 27?
PTI has called for nationwide demonstrations on Sept. 27, including a march towards the capital, to press for Imran Khan's release and what it describes as the restoration of constitutional and democratic rights.
TTAP, an opposition alliance led by Achakzai, has backed the protest and said it would work with other political forces to coordinate its activities. The alliance has described the planned mobilization as a broader campaign centered on constitutional, parliamentary and provincial rights. It has also said it plans broader political and public outreach ahead of the demonstration.
Afridi has said the Sept. 27 march would remain peaceful and within the bounds of the Constitution and law. He has described the mobilization as a political campaign aimed at raising what his party says are demands for constitutional rights and the release of political prisoners. According to reports, he has travelled to Punjab and Sindh to mobilize support for the protest.
What has the government said about the Sept 27 march?
The planned march has drawn opposition from the federal government, which says it will enforce a recent Islamabad High Court ruling concerning protests and the use of public roads and other spaces.
The court's detailed judgment said political parties, public officials and provincial governments could not obstruct public roads, highways and other public places in ways that interfere with citizens' fundamental rights. It also directed provincial governments not to use public resources to facilitate a march or procession towards Islamabad.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday that authorities would take legal action against anyone violating the court's order and would prevent attempts to disrupt the capital.
Authorities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been preparing security measures ahead of the planned protest. Provincial officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been instructed not to use government resources to facilitate a march to the federal capital.
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