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Thousands March for Imran Khan's Release in Pakistan
Confirmed
In Short: Thousands of supporters of Pakistan's jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan have started a long march to Islamabad, demanding his release, according to his party.
Thousands of supporters of Pakistan's jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan have started a long march to Islamabad, demanding his release, according to his party. The march began on Sunday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with stops planned at several places before reaching the capital.
Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is leading the march and urged supporters to join, saying, "I call upon you all to come out, the youngsters to come out for the sake of your leader who is sitting in jail."
The march, originally scheduled for September 27, was postponed to allow for talks between the government and Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. However, the talks ended in deadlock, and the PTI decided to proceed with the march.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the party could not be allowed to disrupt business in the capital, adding that the talks fell apart due to Khan's party's refusal to cooperate on a counter-terrorism policy.
Khan, who faces charges ranging from leaking state secrets to selling state gifts, was first imprisoned in August 2023. His wife Bushra Bibi was also jailed last year.
The rift between Khan's party and the Pakistani leadership dates back to his 2022 ouster by parliament, which he blamed on the military. The situation worsened after Khan's arrest in May 2023, which sparked riots and a subsequent crackdown.
Khan, 74, a former cricket star, has described himself as a political prisoner. The PTI said talks with the government failed because authorities rejected the party's request for access to Khan.
The march is expected to reach a town about 80km west of Islamabad by Thursday. Authorities have stacked up shipping containers to block key access routes to the capital.
While the march organizers have not announced that they are heading for Islamabad, the government is preparing for potential disruptions.
The PTI also demanded that Khan be given an immediate medical examination and treatment.
Two rounds of talks over the weekend failed to break the deadlock, and the PTI decided to carry out its plan, which is the latest attempt to pressure the government into releasing Khan, the country’s most popular political figure according to polls.
What this adds
The arrest of Khan's sister Aleema Khan from her house in Lahore adds to the tensions.
A blast in Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday killed eleven people and injured thirty, with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claiming responsibility.
What's confirmed
- The march was originally scheduled for September 27.
- Some 5,000 people took to the streets on Sunday carrying red and green flags of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party Thousands of supporters of Pakistan's jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan have begun a march from the country's north-west as they call for his release.
- Khan said all the cases against him are politically motivated.
- The march began on Sunday in Lakki Marwat, a city 275km (170 miles) from Islamabad, and was expected to resume on Monday after pausing for the night.
- "[By then] this movement will have reached every corner of the country and every square will have become a centre of activity," he said on Sunday, urging the people to "play an active role in the political process".
- The PTI said talks with government failed because authorities rejected the party's request for access to Khan so that its leaders could consult him on national and political issues.
- The party also said it had demanded that Khan be given an immediate medical examination and treatment.
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi meanwhile accused Afridi of "sabotaging" negotiations, saying the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had backed out of earlier commitments on counter-terrorism issues, according to Pakistan's local media reports.
- The arrest order said Khanum had been mobilising people to "create law and order situations" and "raising/chanting objectionable slogans amongst the general public against the Government".
- Originally scheduled for last week, it was postponed to allow for talks between the government and Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party but the talks ended in deadlock.
- Khan, who faces charges ranging from leaking state secrets to selling state gifts, was first imprisoned in August 2023.
- Sohail Afridi, chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which is governed by the PTI, expects the march to make its way to a town about 80km west of the capital Islamabad by Thursday.
What's still developing
- Eleven people were killed and 30 injured in a blast in Dera Ismail Khan in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, emergency service Rescue 1122 said.
- The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack.
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