Supporters of jailed ex-PM Imran Khan march to Pakistan capital
Thousands have taken to the streets after talks between authorities and Khan's party ended in deadlock.
Supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan march toward Pakistan’s capital
Supporters of Imran Khan have started a lengthy march from north-west Pakistan toward the capital, Islamabad, demanding the release of the jailed former prime minister.
About 5,000 people set off on Sunday from the city of Lakki Marwat, waving flags of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. The convoy also includes a truck carrying a large billboard that says "release Imran Khan".
Over recent months, worries have increased about the 73-year-old Khan’s health. His supporters say he cannot get proper medical treatment.
The march, which had originally been planned for last week, was delayed to allow talks between the government and PTI leaders, but those discussions have now reached an impasse.
Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is governed by PTI, said he expects the march to reach a town around 80km (50 miles) west of Islamabad by Thursday.
"[By then] this movement will have reached every corner of the country and every square will have become a centre of activity," he said on Sunday, calling on people to "play an active role in the political process".
The protesters stopped for the night in the city of Karak and are expected to continue their march around midday on Monday.
In Islamabad, authorities have piled up shipping containers to block major access roads into the capital.
PTI said the talks with the government failed because authorities refused the party’s request for access to Khan so its leaders could consult him on national and political matters.
The party also said it had demanded that Khan receive an immediate medical examination and treatment.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, meanwhile, accused Afridi of "sabotaging" negotiations, saying the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had withdrawn from earlier commitments on counter-terrorism issues, according to Pakistan’s local media reports.
In August, Khan was briefly moved from jail to a state-run hospital for medical examination and treatment after complaints about his worsening health. Doctors later declared him "medically fit".
That intervention was the most significant relief Khan has obtained from the courts since he was jailed in 2023 on corruption charges, which he says were politically motivated.
Khan’s family and the PTI, however, criticised the authorities for ignoring a court order requiring him to be examined by doctors at a specific private hospital.
On 20 September, Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum was arrested in the eastern city of Lahore.
The arrest order said Khanum had been mobilising people to "create law and order situations" and "raising/chanting objectionable slogans amongst the general public against the Government".
Khan, who once captained Pakistan’s national cricket team, was prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
He was jailed in August 2023 and has faced charges in more than 100 cases, ranging from leaking state secrets to selling state gifts — all of which he has dismissed as politically motivated.
Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were both sentenced to 17 years late last year.
His imprisonment sparked major protests by supporters, which were met with a crackdown by the authorities.
Even while in jail, Khan remains a major force in Pakistani politics with a large following.
Former international cricket captains have repeatedly appealed to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging that Khan be given proper medical care.