PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Sunday directed PTI parliamentarians, office-bearers of all party organisations, and ticket-holders to commence the street movement in their respective constituencies with immediate effect and undertake comprehensive preparations for the 27 September Azadi March.

The chief minister said that the call for the 27 September Long March was made after careful consideration of all relevant aspects and priorities, according to a statement issued here.

Addressing a consultative conference here on Sunday, he directed parliamentarians, office-bearers and ticket-holders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to commence street movement in their respective constituencies with immediate effect and undertake comprehensive preparations for the September 27 Azadi March.

He said that call for the long march was given after careful consideration of all relevant aspects and priorities, according to a statement.

He described the march as a decisive mobilisation that would change the course of Pakistan’s future. The conference was convened to review preparations for the long march to be held on September 27 for the release of PTI incarcerated founder Imran Khan.

PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, secretary general Salman Akram Raja, former speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser, PTI provincial president MNA Junaid Akbar, provincial spokesperson Shaukat Ali Yousafzai along with PTI members of National and provincial assemblies, senators, organisational office-bearers and ticket-holders from across Pakistan attended the conference.

The chief minister said that proposals emerging from the conference would be presented before Tehreek Tahafuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan, following which final strategy for the march would be announced in consultation with the alliance.

He urged all participants to remain united and maintain an unwavering focus on their objective. He said that certain elements habitually attempted to undermine collective decisions and stressed that such elements should not be given attention.

“Remain fully focused on the 27 September call,” said the chief minister. He said that conspiratorial elements were driven by their own interests and their vested interests depended on keeping Imran Khan in prison.

He hoped that four million people would take to streets while emphasising that unity within the party was the most essential prerequisite for achieving the objective.

The chief minister said that September 27 represented an opportunity to change the course of the country’s future and stressed that there would be no room for excuses, negligence or any lapse in performance.

“When people take to streets without their leader in the event of arrests, they can bring about a revolution,” he said. He added that neither arrests nor use of force would yield any gains for their opponents.

Mr Afridi stressed the need for paying particular attention to young people and students, stating that youth were the party’s real strength. “If they mobilise and take to streets, no one can stop the revolution. This time, we will not merely take to streets on September 27; if Allah wills, we will return victorious,” he said.

During the meeting, a resolution was also passed unanimously calling for withdrawal of cases against Imran Khan and his wife, protection of the independence and dignity of judiciary and awarding constitutional and financial rights to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The participants of the conference demanded that proceedings in contempt of court cases pending before Supreme Court should be taken forward in accordance with the law. They also called for action against all those found responsible for undermining the dignity of courts.

They also called upon the state to fulfil its commitments and constitutional responsibilities towards the people of tribal districts and ensure provision of adequate resources for their development and rehabilitation.

The conference also expressed serious concern over the ongoing wheat crisis and alleged that mishandling of the wheat issue by the federal and Punjab governments had caused substantial financial losses to farmers.

The participants also demanded immediate withdrawal of restrictions on inter-provincial movement of wheat, saying that free movement of the commodity was essential to prevent artificial shortage and ensure availability of wheat and flour to people at reasonable prices.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2026