Imran Khan supporters begin march toward Islamabad after talks fail

Thousands of supporters of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan began a convoy toward Islamabad on Sunday after negotiations with the government failed to avert a protest march, raising the prospect of another confrontation between the opposition party and authorities. About 5,000 people were travelling by bus, car and truck from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the north-western province governed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Organisers say they hope to attract hundreds of thousands of supporters along the route and demand Khan’s release, transfer to a hospital and regular access for doctors and family members.

The march was originally planned for September 27 but was postponed while the government and PTI held talks. PTI chairman Gohar Khan said on Sunday that two rounds of negotiations had ended in deadlock. Opposition politician Allama Raja Nasir Abbas told Geo TV that access to Khan by his doctor was among the unresolved demands.

Provincial Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the convoy would travel toward Khairabad, about 80 kilometres west of Islamabad, with rallies planned at overnight stops. The reports differ on when demonstrators might reach the capital: the route is expected to take four or five days, but Afridi said further stages would be announced later. Organisers have not supplied a firm timetable for arrival in Islamabad.

Authorities have prepared by placing double-stacked shipping containers on main access routes into the capital. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi blamed Afridi for the breakdown in talks and warned that he would be held responsible for any loss of life. The government has also cited a recent resurgence in militant attacks and security concerns as reasons for opposing or delaying the march.

Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 and faces charges including corruption, treason and inciting violence after widespread anti-government protests in May that year. He and his supporters say the cases are politically motivated. They also accuse the government of rigging the 2024 election that returned Shehbaz Sharif to power, an allegation the government rejects.

The dispute has intensified over Khan’s health and access to him. Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled in August that he should be moved to a civilian hospital, but authorities returned him to prison after a short stay at a government-run facility. SCMP also reported that PTI has demanded the release of three of Khan’s sisters, whose arrests last month heightened tensions.

Government officials say Khan does not require hospitalisation and receives regular visits. The two supplied expert assessments differ on the protest’s wider drivers. James Dorsey of the National University of Singapore described Khan as a populist with broad support and said security concerns would probably make Islamabad avoid escalation.

Tim Willasey-Wilsey of the Royal United Services Institute said economic pressures, including rising fuel and food prices, were also driving discontent. Both assessments portrayed the march as a serious political problem, but not an immediate existential threat to the government. Previous protests by Khan supporters have turned violent, including in 2024, when security personnel and civilians were killed.

The government accuses PTI of sympathising with the Pakistani Taliban, which it considers linked to recent attacks; the party rejects that as a smear. The convoy’s progress will test whether the standoff can remain political as it moves closer to the capital.