More than 5,000 supporters of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan began a multi-day march toward Islamabad on Sunday to demand his freedom following the breakdown of talks between the government and the opposition. The unfolding confrontation threatens to heighten political instability in Pakistan as the nation simultaneously grapples with a sharp rise in militant violence. Khan, the primary political rival of current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has remained behind bars since 2023 facing corruption and additional charges. Both Khan and his party maintain that these accusations are politically driven. Even while imprisoned, Khan commands a dedicated and extensive support base, keeping him central to Pakistan’s volatile political environment. The demonstrators set out from the Lakki Marwat district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Khan’s party governs, traveling in a convoy composed of trucks, buses, and cars. Organizers established a schedule featuring overnight stops as the caravan advances toward the capital. Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of the province and a devoted Khan loyalist, is spearheading the demonstration. Addressing crowds from a custom-designed container truck featuring a massive portrait of Khan, Afridi expressed strong confidence in the campaign’s capability to press their demands directly inside the capital. In response, authorities have deployed shipping containers to block key entry points into Islamabad as well as locations within the city itself. Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and the federal government previously engaged in discussions to delay the protest, but those efforts collapsed. Gohar Khan, the party chairman, confirmed that negotiations stalled completely following two rounds of talks. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi placed the blame for the failed negotiations on Afridi, cautioning that he would face full responsibility for any potential casualties during the demonstration. The administration of Prime Minister Sharif had pressed for a postponement of the march, highlighting an escalation in militant assaults executed by the Pakistani Taliban in the northwest. Furthermore, the government has accused the PTI of harboring sympathies for the Pakistani Taliban, also recognized as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. Despite government warnings, organizers remain determined to press forward to the capital alongside hundreds of thousands of supporters. In addition to calling for Khan’s immediate release, the protesters are demanding his transfer to a medical facility and regular visitation rights for his family members. Government officials assert that Khan remains in good health and is permitted routine family visits, though they insist that meetings with the detained leader must not be exploited for political agendas. The march was initially planned for September 27 but was delayed after party leaders reported that authorities had blocked major thoroughfares leading to Islamabad, such as the Attock Bridge used by convoys arriving from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier demonstrations organized by Khan’s supporters have turned volatile, including a 2024 protest that resulted in the deaths of both civilians and security personnel. Khan, who previously enjoyed a career as a prominent cricket star, was removed from power through a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022. Sharif subsequently assumed office following the general election held in February 2024, a contest that Khan’s party contends was manipulated to rob them of a win. The government firmly rejects these allegations.
Source: npr.org
