Pro-Khan March Begins in Pakistan After Peace Talks Collapse

Followers of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have initiated a major protest march from the northwestern region of the country following the breakdown of negotiations with state officials. More than 5,000 participants began the journey on Sunday, marking the start of a demonstration organized by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

The rally was originally slated for September 27 but was delayed until October 4 to provide an opportunity for dialogue between the PTI leadership and the government. However, two rounds of talks held over the weekend failed to resolve the impasse, prompting the party to proceed with its plans to pressure authorities into releasing Khan, who remains the most popular political figure in the nation according to polls.

Khan has been detained since August 2023 after a series of convictions that his supporters describe as politically motivated. With the exception of one ruling, all other convictions have been suspended or overturned on appeal. The PTI’s campaign for his release has been intensified by concerns regarding the 73-year-old’s health, particularly his right eye, which has required prolonged specialist treatment. The party is also demanding the freedom of Khan’s three sisters, whose arrest last month further escalated tensions.

Video footage shared on the PTI’s official social media channels showed supporters converging from various locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a province governed by the party, and departing in convoys. KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had previously announced on social media that the demonstration would proceed regardless of the failed talks.

Afridi stated that the march is expected to reach Khairabad, located approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Islamabad, by Thursday. There, organizers plan to announce the next phase of their strategy.

In response, the federal government has spent weeks preparing for the influx of demonstrators into the capital. Authorities have blocked primary access routes using shipping containers. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on Sunday that the negotiations had collapsed and accused Afridi of sabotaging the process. He vowed that the government would not permit the PTI to “create a disturbance” in the capital.

Naqvi cited a September 14 order from the Islamabad High Court, which ruled that no political party or leader has the legal right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas, or buildings in Islamabad. He warned that officials would pursue violators individually, whether they were politicians or workers, and whether the protests occurred inside or outside KP.

James Dorsey, a fellow at the National University of Singapore, characterized Khan as a populist leader backed by a genuine movement with broad support. This popularity explains the government’s determination to prevent protesters from entering Islamabad, Dorsey told AFP. He noted that given Pakistan’s security concerns, particularly regarding unresolved conflicts with Afghanistan, the state aims to avoid further escalation, though he described the situation as a problem rather than an existential threat.