Government warns PTI march on Islamabad will be blocked, offers limited concessions

Sources say the federal government has made clear that the PTI's planned long march on Islamabad will be prohibited and that security measures are in place to stop any attempt. In parallel, back-channel contacts allegedly offered modest confidence-building steps, such as moving former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Banigala, and permitting limited family visits after September 27.

Transport companies received warnings that providing buses or vans would result in penalties, leading some to decline requests for cranes and heavy machinery previously used by PTI. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram maintains the march will be entirely peaceful and urges the government to negotiate through authorized opposition figures. Interior Minister Tallal Chaudhry refuted any offers, stating that no confidence-building measures were made and that civilian police are capable of handling any threat. Within PTI, senior members note that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is expected to announce the march plan, but cadres in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan remain uncertain about the strategy, and reports of raids on ministers' homes and arrests of party officials have surfaced.