The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday instructed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary and inspector general of police to file affidavits in response to a petition contesting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned long march scheduled for September 27.

During the proceedings, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General raised concerns over the court’s jurisdiction in the matter. He also highlighted issues related to non-compliance with previous court orders and expressed dissatisfaction over delays in fixing cases for hearing.

The opposition party has announced a series of nationwide protests culminating in a long march towards Islamabad on September 27, demanding the release of its jailed founder, Imran Khan. Addressing the court, Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar questioned whether the court should set case dates based on such requests, emphasizing that scheduling falls under the court’s administrative discretion.

The hearing was then adjourned until September 14. Meanwhile, PTI is preparing to hold an all-parties conference ahead of the march and has initiated outreach to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and other political factions. A PTI delegation also met with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to discuss the opposition’s parliamentary strategy and broader political issues.

In recent developments, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Afridi led a five-day mobilisation campaign across Sindh aimed at rallying support for demands including the release and immediate medical treatment of Imran Khan. The former prime minister, aged 73, has been incarcerated since August 2023 following convictions that he and his party claim are politically motivated. Since his removal from office in April 2022, Imran Khan has faced multiple legal challenges, with some convictions suspended or overturned and several appeals still pending.