'Political strategy': PTI defends move to put off much-hyped Islamabad march

• Yousafzai says PTI backs peaceful political struggle.
• Urges federal govt to engage in practical negotiations.
• Police legislation provincial matter of KP: Yousafzai.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter information secretary Shaukat Yousafzai on Saturday said postponing the planned Islamabad long march to October 4 was "a political strategy" of the party.

His comments come a day after KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced that the party's long march towards Islamabad, originally scheduled for September 27, had been postponed to October 4.

The former ruling party is preparing for a major protest and march on Islamabad, with the party demanding the release of jailed founder Imran Khan and what it describes as the restoration of constitutional supremacy.

Speaking to the media in Peshawar, Yousafzai said that the federal government had brought thousands of police personnel and containers to the area, prompting the PTI to change its political strategy.

"We have changed our political strategy. We support a peaceful struggle," he added.

According to Yousafzai, the federal government would eventually have to come to the negotiating table, urging it to move beyond "ego, stubbornness and the intoxication of political power".

"The government negotiates, but it does so on television channels," he said, adding that the PTI would negotiate if the federal government talked about negotiations in practical terms.

The PTI leader reiterated that the Imran-founded party demand was that the jailed former prime minister be provided medical treatment in accordance with court orders.

He also criticised what he described as federal interference in provincial matters, saying after the 18th Amendment, the federal government could not interfere in matters concerning the provinces.

"Provincial ministers are being picked up here. The federal government has created a law of the jungle," he said.

Yousafzai condemned Federal Minister Attaullah Tarar's remarks concerning CM Afridi and referred to an earlier statement by Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz regarding the provinces.

"Such a narrative weakens the state," he said.

Police Act 'provincial matter'

On the police legislation, Yousafzai said the Police Act was a provincial matter and fell within the province's authority.

The KP cabinet, chaired by CM Afridi, approved the revised KP Police Act 2026 after incorporating amendments to address reservations raised by cabinet members over various provisions of the proposed legislation.

The PTI information secretary said lawmaking in the public interest was the province's constitutional right, questioning what provisions in the provincial legislation were not already present in the police laws of Punjab and Sindh.

Yousafzai said that the inspector general of police had been summoned by the KP assembly speaker but did not appear.

"We want the police to be independent, with no pressure on them. That is why we legislated," he added.