The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-25 · by Shah Meer Baloch in Islamabad and Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi
Story summary
On September 18, Section 144 of Pakistan's Criminal Procedure Code was imposed in Islamabad, effective immediately for two months. The order prohibits gatherings of five or more people and any protests towards the capital to prevent unrest. This move came as a response to opposition leader Imran Khan’s planned march to demand his release from jail, where he has been held since 2023 on corruption charges.
Leaders from Khan's party, PTI, had initially announced they would proceed with the nationwide demonstration starting September 27 but later decided to postpone it. On September 29, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi formally announced that PTI’s long march towards Islamabad would now commence on October 4 from Peshawar, instead of the original date.
The government has deployed tens of thousands of police forces and taken other security measures to prevent Khan's supporters from marching into Islamabad. Despite these efforts, PTI leaders argue that their protest is constitutional and peaceful. The postponement appears to be a strategic decision by the party to exhaust the government further or due to logistical challenges posed by road blockades and other preventive measures. Analysts suggest this could still present a significant challenge for Pakistan’s military-backed government, which is already facing criticism over its legitimacy and popularity. The PTI leaders continue to assert their commitment to upholding constitutional rights and demand justice for Imran Khan's release.
Written for “PTI Protest Postponement” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 13 other(s) covering the same event.
Leaders from Imran Khan’s party have vowed to go ahead with a nationwide demonstration in Pakistan to demand the former prime minister’s release, even as the government deployed tens of thousands of police to Islamabad, barricaded highways and issued arrest warrants to try to stop the march.
asserted
government → vow → march
The state has taken extreme measures to prevent Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party from proceeding with the march, due to take place over the weekend.
asserted
state → take → weekend
It was announced after mounting concerns of the treatment of Khan, who has been in jail since 2023 on corruption charges.
asserted
who → announce → charges
On Friday, deliberation continued among PTI leaders over whether to begin the march on Sunday and move slowly towards Islamabad to “exhaust the government” or whether to delay until next week.
asserted
deliberation → continue → week
Analysts said the protest could present a major challenge to the military-backed government, which is widely regarded as weak, illegitimate and unpopular, while Khan remains a popular rallying figure.
uncertain
Khan → say → government
The ruling coalition is led by the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, but the army chief, Field Marshall Asim Munir, is widely seen as the country’s de facto leader.
asserted
chief → rule → leader
This week, dozens of PTI leaders and ministers have been detained or given with arrest warrants, while Khan’s three sisters were arrested on Monday and remain in jail, charged with posing a “grave threat” to security.
asserted
sisters → detain → security
Among those facing arrest is Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khan’s home province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PTI’s stronghold where thousands of supporters are expected to join the march to the capital.
asserted
thousands → face → capital
Afridi said the PTI would carry out the march unless the government made significant concessions over Khan’s treatment and conditions in jail, including a fair hearing for Khan’s cases.
asserted
government → say → cases
“The government is panicking – that’s why they have put Islamabad under siege, that’s why they are abducting our ministers,” he said.
asserted
he → panic → ministers
“But Imran Khan is the most popular leader of the country and people will come out for him.
asserted
people → come → him
I am certain they won’t be able to stop the public power of the masses when they come out on streets and take to Islamabad.”
asserted
they → stop → Islamabad
Afridi acknowledged the scale of the security deployment had led many to fear there could be a violent confrontation to prevent Khan’s supporters entering the capital, as had been seen in previous demonstrations.
uncertain
scale → acknowledge → demonstrations
The government has already deployed tens of thousands of security officials to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and shut down the main highway connecting the provincial capital, Peshawar, to Islamabad.
asserted
government → deploy → Islamabad
“I know they can go to any extent to stop us by brute force, we have no doubt about it,” added Afridi.
asserted
Afridi → know → it
“But if we have a large number of people, they can’t open fire at us.
asserted
they → have → us
Our plan is to bring so many people that they surrender.”
asserted
they → bring → people
Faisal Karim Kundi, the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – a central government appointee – defended the security measures being taken against PTI as “precautionary” and accused the party of trying to create “instability and violence”.
“The state can’t allow any violent group to march on Islamabad,” said Kundi.
asserted
Kundi → defend → Islamabad
Public frustration has mounted in Islamabad as the government’s measures to stop Khan’s party supporters having any way to enter the capital has led to the city resembling a high-security fortress.
asserted
city → mount → fortress
More than 1,000 shipping containers, many fortified with spikes, have blockaded roads and sandbags were placed on bridges, while a key highway into the capital was closed.
asserted
highway → fortify → capital
Public gatherings have been banned in Islamabad and 22,000 police and other security personnel have been deployed across the capital.
asserted
police → ban → capital
The government’s shutdown has fuelled anger and frustration in the capital, with many businesses unable to get supplies.
asserted
businesses → fuel → supplies
Shahid, 76, a retired businessman, said: “The entire city is suffering.
asserted
city → say → ?
The government has shut down the whole city and we, as citizens, are helpless.
asserted
we → shut → citizens
I have never seen such a situation.
asserted
I → see → situation
Joblessness, inflation and insecurity has made our lives hell but does the government care?
asserted
government → make → ?
Despite the considerable efforts by the government and the military to crush Khan’s party and remove the former prime minister from the public consciousness – with media organisations instructed to not even refer to him by name – Khan is still viewed by many as the political alternative to the current regime.
asserted
Khan → crush → regime
The PTI alleges Khan is being held in solitary confinement and has been denied adequate medical treatment and any contact with his family or his lawyers for months.
asserted
Khan → allege → months
Khan denies all the charges against him and alleges he is being imprisoned due to the political threat he poses to the ruling government and the country’s powerful military.
asserted
he → deny → government
All but one of the court rulings against Khan have been overturned.
asserted
All → overturn → Khan
Analysts say the government and its military backers fear the PTI protest could escalate into a movement that could topple their administration, similar to protests seen in nearby Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
uncertain
that → say → Bangladesh
“They have an eye on what has happened in south Asia over the last five years, where country after country has seen huge protests snowballing suddenly out of nowhere and sweeping away a government,” said Niaz Murtaza, a Pakistani political columnist.
asserted
Murtaza → have → government
“Given the breadth of grievances in Pakistan at the moment – the performance of the government has been so poor on the economy and security while the repression is so high – that they are very nervous that the whole situation could combust very quickly.”
uncertain
situation → give → economy
The Aporia
