PML-N leader Saad Rafique has appealed to both the government and protesters to engage in dialogue, emphasizing the need for timely efforts to resolve ongoing conflicts and avoid further damage. He stressed that initiatives to address issues typically come from the state and encouraged all parties to overcome ego, stubbornness, and factional divisions.
Rafique highlighted that if there is genuine intent to solve problems, solutions will emerge. He cautioned against treating the confrontation as a competition, warning that no side would emerge victorious as everyone is suffering losses. He further urged measures to prevent harm to lives and property, pointing out that Pakistan is currently burdened by inflation, unemployment, injustice, and terrorism.
“If wounds are not treated promptly, they worsen,” Rafique remarked, underscoring the urgency of addressing the crisis. His comments followed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decision to delay its planned long march to Islamabad by one week.
Following the postponement, key routes linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Islamabad began reopening. Traffic resumed on the GT Road at Khairabad in Attock after a four-day disruption, and efforts were underway to clear the Peshawar-Islamabad M-1 motorway, which had been blocked with sandbags, iron sheets, and containers to halt the PTI march. Entry points into Punjab at Taxila also returned to normal traffic flow. However, the CPEC route in Mianwali remained closed.
Despite the delay of the September 27 march, the number of containers around Islamabad’s Red Zone increased. Authorities registered a case concerning barriers broken at Attock Bridge and thrown into the river, naming 250 PTI workers. Several PTI members were detained, with officials warning of legal action over damage to state property.
The PTI had initially scheduled the long march for September 27, but Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced its postponement until October 4. Afridi also extended an offer for talks with the federal government, suggesting that the issues could be resolved through mutual understanding.
Speaking to senior journalists in Peshawar, Afridi urged the federal government to engage in dialogue within seven days, questioning the rationale behind waiting for the march to begin before initiating negotiations. “If talks are to happen after the march, why not hold them beforehand?” he asked. Afridi emphasized the desire for a resolution, stating, “We want the issue to be resolved.”
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