Jailed former Pakistan leader Imran Khan’s supporters march on capital to demand his release

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More than 5,000 supporters of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan began a multi-day march towards the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Sunday to demand his release, after talks between his party and the government collapsed.

The looming showdown threatens to deepen political uncertainty at a time when the country is also grappling with a surge in militant attacks.

Mr Khan, prime minister Shehbaz Sharif’s chief political rival, has been jailed since 2023 on charges his party claims are politically motivated.

In spite of his imprisonment, he retains a substantial support base, keeping him central to Pakistan’s turbulent political landscape.

Mr Khan, a former cricket star, was removed in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022 he accused Pakistan’s powerful military of orchestrating at the behest of the US.

Mr Sharif returned to office following a February 2024 election, which Mr Khan’s party claimed was rigged to deny it victory, an allegation the government and the military denied.

The demonstrators, travelling in a convoy of trucks, buses and cars, departed from Lakki Marwat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where Mr Khan’s party holds power.

Organisers planned overnight stops en route to the capital. Sohail Afridi, the province’s chief minister and a staunch supporter of Mr Khan, is leading the march.

Speaking from a specially designed container truck emblazoned with a portrait of Mr Khan, the chief minister expressed confidence in pressing their demands into the heart of the capital.

Authorities have erected roadblocks, using shipping containers, at the entrances to Islamabad and inside the city.

Mr Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, and the federal government held talks to postpone the march but failed to reach a resolution.

Party chairman Gohar Khan said the negotiations remained deadlocked after two rounds.

Interior minister Mohsin Naqvi blamed Mr Afridi for the failure of the talks, warning that he would be held responsible for any loss of life during the planned march.

Mr Sharif’s government urged postponement of the march, citing a surge in Pakistani Taliban attacks in the northwest of the country. His administration accused the PTI of sympathising with the group, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Organisers vow to reach the capital after rallying with hundreds of thousands of Mr Khan’s supporters.

Besides Mr Khan’s release, protesters demand his transfer to hospital and family visitation rights. Officials say he is in good health and receives regular visits, but maintain these cannot be used for political purposes.

The march was originally scheduled for 27 September but was deferred after the party’s leaders said authorities blocked key approaches to Islamabad, including the Attock Bridge, a major crossing from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Previous protests by Mer Khan’s supporters have turned violent, including a demonstration in 2024 in which security personnel and civilians were killed.

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