PESHAWAR (The COW News Digital) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial information secretary and former minister Shaukat Yousafzai has urged the party leadership to temporarily postpone its planned long march to Islamabad, citing the country’s security situation and the need to avoid confrontation with the state.
In a letter addressed to the party leadership, Yousafzai said PTI should stand with the government and state in matters concerning national defence and security. He argued that the country was facing potential external threats as well as terrorism and that the party should reconsider its protest strategy under the prevailing circumstances.
Yousafzai maintained that postponing the protest would not require PTI to abandon its political demands. Instead, he proposed that the party temporarily defer the long march while continuing to pursue its stated objectives through political and constitutional means.
The PTI leader also expressed concern that the federal government could use the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as grounds for imposing emergency measures in the province. He said a possible attack from Afghanistan could potentially be cited as justification for such action.
According to Yousafzai, efforts were also underway to attribute the recent rise in terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the provincial government. He said a narrative was being developed against Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and the provincial administration, including allegations that they were facilitating militant elements.
These allegations remain part of the political dispute between the federal and provincial governments, with competing positions over responsibility for the province’s security situation.
Yousafzai further argued that the federal government was seeking to weaken or remove the provincial government amid the political confrontation surrounding PTI’s planned march. He urged the party leadership to reconsider its strategy in order to protect both the provincial government and party workers.
The former minister said the safety of PTI workers should remain the party’s foremost responsibility. He called for decisions based on the prevailing circumstances rather than political pressure and advocated negotiations instead of confrontation with state institutions.
He also pointed out that PTI founder Imran Khan had previously called off long marches or protests when concerns arose over the safety of party workers. Yousafzai suggested that the same principle could be considered under the current circumstances.
The PTI leader described the party’s present options as either confrontation or negotiations and encouraged the leadership to pursue dialogue. He referred to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah as an example of seeking a political way forward during difficult circumstances.
Addressing PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Yousafzai urged him to assess the situation carefully, saying the wider political environment required serious consideration by the party leadership.
PTI had earlier postponed its Islamabad march, originally scheduled for September 27, with KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announcing that the march would depart from Peshawar for Islamabad on October 4.
The latest proposal from Yousafzai adds another internal voice to the discussion over whether the October 4 protest should proceed. Reports on September 29 said other PTI leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had also advised the party leadership to consider postponing the march because of security concerns.
