Junaid Akbar Says PTI Has No Option But to Move Ahead With September 27 March
PESHAWAR: Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Member of the National Assembly Junaid Akbar has said that the party and its leadership have no option left but to move forward with the September 27 protest march, claiming that retreat would lead to severe backlash from their own supporters.
Speaking on Waseem Badami’s programme, Junaid Akbar said that PTI faced a difficult situation, arguing that if the government or security institutions opened fire on protesters, they would die, while backing down would expose them to anger from their own voters and workers.
“We have to die anyway. If the government or security institutions do not kill us, our own voters and workers will,” he said, adding that the party had decided to face the situation with dignity rather than retreat.
دیکھیں مرنا تو ہمیں ہے اگر یہ نہیں ماریں گے تو ہمارے اپنے ووٹرز ہمیں مار دیں گے تو ہم نے فیصلہ کیا ہے کہ اس دفعہ عزت سے مریں گے
جنید اکبر pic.twitter.com/eY4wSmRwnQ— Mahboob Sher (@mahboobsherpk67) September 24, 2026
Junaid Akbar said the ongoing restrictions and pressure were allegedly linked to the party’s refusal to make commitments regarding the timing, location and manner of the protest. “When we will come, where we will come and how we will come is our decision. Nobody can dictate terms to us,” he said.
He further claimed that whenever PTI held talks with the government, it was repeatedly told that the government had limited authority and that key decisions were being taken elsewhere.
“The establishment kept us chasing a false hope for the past three years and humiliated us in the eyes of our own workers,” Junaid Akbar alleged.
He also questioned the timing of the government’s renewed talk of negotiations, saying that KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had announced the long march 52 days in advance, but the government did not show interest in negotiations during that period. According to him, talks were being discussed only after preparations for the march had been completed.
مقتدرہ نے تین سال تک ہمیں بتی کے پیچھے لگائے رکھا ہمیں اپنے کارکنان کی نظر میں زلیل کیا اب اعتماد کا اتنا فقدان ہے کہ ہمیں ان پر کوئی اعتماد نہیں ہماری بس ہو گئی ہے ہمارے پاس اب اس کے علاؤہ کوئی آپشن نہیں،جنید اکبر pic.twitter.com/ghWd1EzGeB
— Ahsan Wahid (@AhsanWahid13) September 23, 2026
Junaid Akbar acknowledged that PTI’s voter base was deeply dissatisfied with the party leadership because of its continued demand for practical political action in support of PTI founder Imran Khan.
He said there was now little room for further negotiations or retreat and maintained that only Imran Khan could withdraw the September 27 Islamabad march call.
“We will not disappoint our workers and the people any further,” he said, adding that PTI would proceed towards Islamabad regardless of the circumstances.
