Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bukhari has launched a sharp attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ahead of its planned September 27 march on Islamabad, accusing the party of preparing what she described as a “third rebellion” under the leadership of PTI founder Imran Khan.

In a statement on Sunday, Bukhari said the events of May 9 and November 26 had already become a major political and legal burden for Imran Khan and alleged that another attempt at confrontation was now being planned for September 27.

She also targeted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, accusing him of attempting to lead a political push towards the federal capital after his recent mobilisation efforts across the country.

“The failed rebellions of May 9 and November 26 are already hanging around Imran Khan’s neck, and now preparations are being made for a third rebellion on September 27,” Bukhari said, framing the upcoming protest as another attempt to create confrontation with the federal government. Her description of the previous events and the planned march as “rebellions” represents the Punjab government minister’s political position.

Bukhari also appealed to parents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to keep their children away from PTI’s protest campaign. She criticised Imran Khan by referring to his children living in London and alleged that young people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were being drawn into political agitation for the former prime minister’s objectives.

The remarks come as political attention increasingly shifts towards PTI’s September 27 Islamabad long march, which the party says is aimed at pressing for the release of Imran Khan.

Sohail Afridi has rejected government claims that the march is intended to trigger unrest. He said on September 19 that PTI did not seek confrontation and described the planned march as a “peaceful, democratic and constitutional struggle” that would remain within the limits of the Constitution and law.

The opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan has also backed the September 27 mobilisation while publicly maintaining that the protest will remain peaceful and constitutional.

Meanwhile, security and political preparations around the planned march have intensified. Authorities have been preparing additional security arrangements in Islamabad and Punjab, while the Islamabad High Court has directed provincial chief ministers to ensure that government resources and official machinery are not used for the PTI march.

With September 27 approaching, the competing narratives have become increasingly clear: government figures are warning of possible disorder and confrontation, while PTI leadership insists that the march will be a peaceful political protest focused on Imran Khan’s release.