PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has postponed its long march towards Islamabad, which was scheduled for September 27, and will now begin the march from Peshawar on October 4.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced that the PTI political committee had decided to change the date of the long march. According to him, the protest march will now commence from Peshawar on October 4 and proceed towards Islamabad.

According to party sources, the political committee reviewed the prevailing political and security situation during its meeting and agreed to postpone the September 27 march for a few days.

Sources said consultations were also held with leaders of the opposition alliance, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. The two leaders were to be taken into confidence regarding the party’s decision.

Earlier, PTI leaders had repeatedly maintained that preparations for the September 27 long march were continuing. PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Secretary Shaukat Yousafzai had said that no decision had been taken to call off the long march and that the party was fully prepared for the protest.

Yousafzai had said the long march would remain peaceful and that government resources would not be used. He had also said that negotiations with the federal government could lead to a decision regarding the protest, but PTI would not call off the march without achieving its demands.

According to PTI sources, the decision to postpone the September 27 protest was taken in view of the prevailing political and security situation. The party will now make preparations for the march from Peshawar to Islamabad on October 4.