Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas declared on Saturday that only PTI founder Imran Khan has the authority to postpone the party’s planned September 27 Islamabad march, asserting that no one else can make that decision. His statement came as the PTI prepares for a countrywide protest, including a long march to the capital, to demand Imran Khan’s release and to mobilise public support for the supremacy of the Constitution.
The Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) opposition alliance, in which Abbas is a key leader, has assured the PTI of its support for the protest. In a post on his X account on Saturday, Abbas claimed that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had called on him and was informed that only Imran Khan could postpone the September 27 Islamabad march. “No one can minus Imran,” Abbas wrote.
TTAP Spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Ahmed Yousufzai, speaking to Dawn, said the meeting was held on September 14 at Naqvi’s request. He added that Abbas and PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan attended the meeting on the opposition’s side.
Responding to queries after a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad, Abbas said: “He (Naqvi) came to meet [us]. We have stated our stance and they will find out … that no individual can postpone the September 27 march without a meeting with Imran Khan sahib.” He asserted, “Imran Khan cannot be minused; we will not let Imran Khan sahib be minused. Therefore, no issue can be resolved without a meeting with Imran Khan sahib.”
During the press conference, Abbas said providing basic facilities to the people and protecting their constitutional rights were major issues. He said that even a senior federal minister had acknowledged that the country’s system had “collapsed”.
TTAP leader and former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair said there was a wide gap between the lifestyle of the ruling elite and the economic difficulties faced by ordinary citizens. He claimed that poverty, unemployment and inflation had increased compared with four and a half years ago. He said electricity prices had also risen, adding to the burden on the public.
The PTI’s planned protest and long march have raised political tensions, with the opposition alliance throwing its weight behind the party’s demands. The government has yet to respond publicly to the opposition’s conditions, but the interior minister’s reported outreach suggests behind-the-scenes efforts to find a way forward. For now, the PTI’s September 27 Islamabad march remains on track, with the opposition insisting that any change must come through dialogue with Imran Khan.
Source: Dawn News