PTI, TTAP Unite Behind Sohail Afridi September 27 Long March to Islamabad

CM KP – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has confirmed that the Sohail Afridi September 27 long march has the complete support of PTI’s leadership and its allied group, TTAP. He shared this update during a conversation with senior journalist Hamid Mir on Geo News.

Afridi explained that the date wasn’t picked randomly. Both the provincial and central leadership of PTI sat together with the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan alliance before finalizing it. He said every branch of the party, across all provinces, agrees with the plan.

His comments came after Aleema Khan, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, raised questions about the timing. She reportedly wanted to know why the march wasn’t scheduled sooner.

Responding calmly, Afridi called her “non-political” and said she was simply speaking as a concerned family member. He sounded confident that once she hears the full reasoning, she’ll come around and support the decision too.

No Secret Deal, Says CM

Some PTI leaders living abroad have accused Afridi of quietly striking a deal before announcing the march date. He firmly denied this, calling it misleading and unfair.

According to him, anyone with genuine concerns should reach out privately first instead of making public accusations. He believes such claims only create confusion among party workers and supporters.

One specific allegation claimed Afridi met Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on August 4, just before the announcement. He rejected this outright, saying he spent that entire afternoon, from noon to 4:30 pm, at the KP House in Islamabad. Those hours, he explained, were dedicated to meetings about the Pado KP programme and telemedicine projects, not political dealings.

When pressed further about whether the meeting happened in Peshawar instead, he repeated that he never left Islamabad that day.

PTI Says This Is Their Last Option

A day before Afridi’s interview, PTI leader Shafi Jan spoke on a different Geo News show. He said the party feels cornered, with no path left except this long march.

Jan, who also works as an aide to the KP Chief Minister, said workers are protesting because their voices aren’t being heard. He described the march as PTI’s final option, not a first choice.

He also revealed the plan to start the march from Peshawar, expecting nearly two million people to join. The goal, he said, is to make an impact felt nationwide.

Imran Khan has been behind bars since August 2023. His party maintains that every case against him is politically driven. Even though a few convictions were suspended or overturned, several appeals are still waiting for a decision in higher courts. Both Imran and PTI continue to reject all allegations against him.