Thousands of supporters of jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan began marching toward Islamabad on Sunday, calling for his release. Reports said about 5,000 people, carrying the red-and-green flags of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, set out in a convoy of buses, cars and trucks.
The BBC said the march began in Lakki Marwat, 275km from the capital, while Deutsche Welle described an 80km trip from northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that could take several days. DW reported that the government erected roadblocks and that organizers hoped to gather hundreds of thousands of people en route. They also seek Khan's transfer to a hospital and regular family visits. His family says he has lost much of the vision in his right eye; government officials say he does not need hospitalization. Khan, jailed for 17 years over corruption last year and facing more than 100 cases, says the cases are politically motivated.