Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas on Saturday said only PTI founder Imran Khan had the authority to postpone his party’s countrywide protest planned for September 27.

The PTI has called for a nationwide protest, including a “long march” to Islamabad, to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan and mobilise people for the supremacy of the Constitution.

The Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) opposition alliance, which Abbas is a key leader of, has assured the PTI of its support for the protest.

A post on Abbas’ X account on Saturday claimed that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had called on him and that the latter was informed only Imran could postpone the September 27 protest.

“No one can minus Imran,” he wrote.

TTAP Spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Ahmed Yousufzai, speaking to Dawn, claimed that the meeting was held on September 14 on Naqvi’s request.

He added that Abbas and PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan attended the meeting on the opposition’s side.

Responding to queries after a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad, Abbas said: “He (Naqvi) came to meet [us]. We have stated our stance and they will find out … that no individual can postpone the September 27 march without a meeting with Imran Khan sahib.”

He asserted, “Imran Khan cannot be minused; we will not let Imran Khan sahib be minused. Therefore, no issue can be resolved without a meeting with Imran Khan sahib.”

During the press conference, Abbas said providing basic facilities to the people and protecting their constitutional rights were major issues. He said that even a senior federal minister had acknowledged that the country’s system had “collapsed”.

TTAP leader and former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair said there was a wide gap between the lifestyle of the ruling elite and the economic difficulties faced by ordinary citizens. He claimed that poverty, unemployment and inflation had increased compared with four and a half years ago. He said electricity prices had risen two to threefold, while people had made sacrifices in the hope that economic conditions would improve.

PTI leader and former KP finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra criticised government spending, questioning the reported purchase of a jet costing Rs10 billion and expenditure on official and private travel. He said every rupee of public money should be accounted for and questioned why relief was not being provided to people facing rising fuel prices.

On Friday, days after the meeting reportedly took place, Naqvi declared that the government would stop anyone from marching towards the federal capital “in every possible way”.

He further warned of contempt of court proceedings against those who violated the recent ruling by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), wherein it termed any activity resulting in infringement of citizens’ fundamental rights as a violation of the Constitution.

“The question is not whether a political party is entitled to protest. It plainly is, subject always to the Constitution and law,” the judgment observed.

KP CM meets Achakzai, Abbas

Abbas’ remarks come after earlier in the day, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi met him and NA Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai to discuss the PTI’s upcoming protest.

In a post on X, TTAP said the KP CM held an “important meeting” with Abbas and Achakzai, who is also the TTAP chairman. Yousafzai was also present on the occasion.

“Detailed political consultations regarding the call for September 27 were held during the meeting, and various aspects of the future course of action, political strategy, and advancing the democratic struggle in an effective manner were discussed,” the statement said.

The politicians consulted on taking forward the protest call as an “effective and organised political struggle for upholding the supremacy of the Constitution, democratic rights, provincial rights, and the protection of the public mandate”.

The trio had also met on Thursday, shortly after CM Afridi concluded his visit to Punjab, where the upcoming protest was among the topics discussed.

As part of the PTI’s preparations, the KP CM toured Sindh and Punjab to mobilise supporters for the protest.

During his visit to the PML-N-led Punjab, Afridi not only alleged he was “abducted” by authorities in Lahore and later “thrown” by the roadside, but also claimed a man was sent to kill him.

The Punjab government had swiftly refuted the claims of arrest, while the Wazirabad police clarified that the man accused by Afridi was a police constable deployed on security duty for the KP CM.

The administrations of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad had already begun preparations last week to counter the PTI’s announced march to the capital, including a request for the detention of activists, arranging containers, seeking additional personnel and procuring anti-riot gear.