Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Shandana Gulzar has reiterated that the party plans to proceed with its protest march towards Islamabad on October 4 under the leadership of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar alongside KP Assembly Deputy Speaker Suraiya Bibi and lawyer Moazzam Butt, Gulzar said the party would continue with its planned demonstration despite restrictions or other obstacles.
The PTI had initially scheduled the march for September 27 before the date was changed to October 4. Afridi had announced that the march would depart from Peshawar on the revised date.
Gulzar alleged that discussions about imposing emergency or governor’s rule in KP were connected to efforts to prevent the planned protest. She also claimed that PTI workers and lawmakers were being detained ahead of the march and questioned the legality of such actions.
The PTI lawmaker urged authorities to avoid using state institutions against citizens and called for dialogue rather than confrontation. She maintained that the party intended to hold a peaceful protest.
Addressing concerns raised by PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai about possible security threats, Gulzar described his remarks as his personal assessment and said any specific information about a threat should be communicated to the party.
She also criticised the government over rising costs of essential goods, including fuel, electricity and flour, linking the issue to the economic difficulties being faced by citizens.
Lawyer Moazzam Butt, who also addressed the press conference, alleged that the planned PTI protest was being used as a pretext for considering emergency measures or governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The PTI’s October 4 plan has remained a subject of political debate, with different party figures publicly discussing whether the march should proceed amid security and political concerns.
