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Thousands of supporters of jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan have begun a long march towards Islamabad, demanding his release and calling for greater constitutional and political rights, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said on Monday.
The march began on Sunday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is governed by PTI, with supporters planning several stops before reaching Islamabad. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is leading the procession and has urged young people to join the campaign.
The government has said it will not allow the protesters to enter Islamabad. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said authorities would prevent the march from disrupting the capital, while thousands of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed around the city.
Shipping containers serving as barricades have also been placed along key routes and around the government district, where parliament, the prime minister’s residence and foreign embassies are located.
The latest confrontation comes amid collapse of talks between the PTI and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government over the weekend. The march, which had originally been scheduled for September 27, was postponed after the government offered negotiations over PTI’s demands.
The political dispute between Khan and Pakistan’s leadership dates back to his removal from office by parliament in 2022. Khan blamed the military for his ouster, a claim the military has denied.
Tensions intensified after his arrest in May 2023 triggered violent protests, during which supporters attacked military installations, followed by a crackdown that saw thousands of PTI supporters detained and some later sentenced by military courts.
Khan, a former international cricket star and prominent political figure in the country, has described himself as a political prisoner.
The military and civilian government reject that characterisation and point to the independence of Pakistan’s judiciary. Khan has been convicted in several cases, although all but one of his convictions have since been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending.
The government has also accused the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration of failing to cooperate with Islamabad on a state-backed strategy to counter rising militant attacks in the province, which borders Afghanistan.
The PTI has rejected Islamabad’s explanation for the collapse of the talks, with government officials warning that constitutional and legal measures could be implemented against the provincial administration if it does not follow the federal counterterrorism policy.
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