Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Prepares Islamabad March Led by Sohail Afridi to Demand Imran Khan Release
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the political party founded by incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan, is preparing to launch a fresh wave of demonstrations demanding his immediate release. The upcoming campaign is being spearheaded by Sohail Afridi, the 37-year-old Chief Minister of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, who has rapidly emerged as a pivotal organizer in national politics alongside his provincial leadership role.
According to reports, the political party is organizing a major long march toward the capital city of Islamabad, scheduled for October 4. The demonstrations are designed to pressure authorities into releasing the former prime minister, who has remained imprisoned for over three years. This escalating standoff has significantly heightened political tensions between the government and the opposition party.
Afridi has publicly accused the administration of conducting targeted crackdowns against party activists and elected representatives, noting that two of his provincial ministers have faced targeted assaults this month. The Islamabad-bound march was initially planned for the preceding Sunday but was postponed by a week following the arrest of Imran Khan's sisters and state measures blocking entry points into the capital from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Afridi has reaffirmed that the march will proceed on October 4, followed by celebrations marking Khan's birthday as a victory day on October 5.
Born in Bara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in 1989, Afridi entered student politics through the party during his economics studies at the University of Peshawar. He secured a seat in the provincial assembly as an independent candidate in the 2024 elections and was subsequently appointed chief minister in October 2025 following directives from the imprisoned leader, replacing Ali Amin Gandapur. While his initial tenure featured a rigid stance on military operations, which later drew scrutiny, political analyst Amer Raza suggested that these shifts should not be misconstrued as a surrender or a complete reversal of stance.
With Imran Khan remaining behind bars, Afridi has cemented his position as the central figure leading the party's street agitations. The planned October 4 mobilization is widely anticipated to serve as a crucial test of his rising political stature and capability to navigate the high-stakes national arena in Pakistan.
