Thousands of supporters of Imran Khan began traveling to Islamabad on Sunday to demand his release from prison amid a political deadlock in Pakistan. The government has established roadblocks to limit the movement of protesters.
Approximately 5,000 supporters are making the 80-kilometer (50-mile) journey from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) is in power. Organizers of the march aim to gather hundreds of thousands of supporters along the route to advocate for Khan's release and his transfer to a hospital for medical treatment and family visits.
Government officials have stated that Khan does not require hospitalization and receives regular visits. In August, Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled that Khan should be moved to a civilian hospital, but he was returned to prison after a brief stay at a government medical facility.
Khan, a former cricket star who served as prime minister from August 2018 until April 2022, has been imprisoned since August 2023 on charges including corruption, treason, and inciting violence during anti-government protests in May 2023. His supporters allege that the 2024 election, which resulted in Shehbaz Sharif's return to power, was rigged, a claim the government denies.
James Dorsey, a scholar at the National University of Singapore, described Khan as a populist leader with significant popular support and noted the government's efforts to prevent protesters from entering Islamabad. He expressed that while the march poses a challenge for the government, it is not an existential threat.
The march was initially scheduled for September 27 but was delayed due to negotiations aimed at resolving the political standoff between the Sharif government and Khan's PTI. After talks failed, the march commenced.
PTI Chairman Gohar Khan indicated that negotiations to prevent the march had reached an impasse after two rounds of discussions. Supporters plan to hold rallies at various stops during the four to five-day march.
Sohail Afridi, the provincial chief minister, stated that the movement aims to address the political standoff in the capital. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi attributed the breakdown in negotiations to Afridi, warning of potential loss of life during the march.
Past protests by Khan's supporters have turned violent, leading to casualties among security personnel and civilians. The Sharif government has cited a rise in terror attacks as a reason for delaying the march, accusing Khan's PTI of having links to the Pakistani Taliban, which the PTI has denied, calling the accusations a smear campaign.