Khan supporters march on Islamabad after government talks stall

On October 4, over 5,000 backers of ex-Pakistani leader Imran Khan set off from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on a multiday march to Islamabad after the federal government and Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party could not settle their disagreement over the proposed demonstration.¹³

Talks fail to halt march

The federal government and PTI representatives met on October 2 in the National Assembly Speaker’s chamber in an effort to reduce tensions before the march, according to The Hindu. A six-member government delegation was led by Rana Sanaullah, the prime minister’s adviser on political affairs, while the PTI side included party chairman Gohar Ali Khan and other opposition figures. Pakistan Peoples Party representatives also took part.²

The discussions remained stuck after two rounds, according to NPR and Al Jazeera. PTI international spokesman Zulfiqar Bukhari had said the dialogue was intended to address the political tension surrounding the protest, while Sanaullah argued that disputes should be settled through negotiation. The government sought a postponement, but PTI decided to proceed.¹²³

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi blamed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for the failure of the talks, according to NPR. The government said Afridi would bear responsibility for any deaths during the march. Afridi, who is leading the mobilisation, said the demonstration would continue and reach Khairabad before organisers announced its next phase.¹³

Demands centred on Khan

PTI’s stated demands included an immediate meeting with Khan and his transfer to a hospital for examination by his personal doctors, The Hindu reported. The party also sought the release of Khan’s three sisters and others detained before the protest, a medical examination for Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, and what it described as proper court hearings.²³

According to NPR, Khan has been held in custody since 2023 over corruption allegations and additional charges. He and PTI say the cases are politically motivated. Government officials say he is healthy and receives regular visits from family members; protesters are nevertheless seeking his release, hospital treatment and permission for family access.¹

Sanaullah said the courts, rather than the government, would determine the cases against Khan. PTI also maintains that the February 2024 election was manipulated to prevent it from winning, an allegation the government denies. Shehbaz Sharif became prime minister again following that election, while Khan was ousted by lawmakers in a no-confidence ballot in April 2022.¹²

Capital approaches blocked

The government placed shipping-container barriers on principal roads leading into Islamabad and mobilised additional police, according to The Hindu and Al Jazeera. NPR reported that barriers were erected both at the capital’s entrances and within the city. The road closures also disrupted freight traffic, The Hindu reported.¹²³

PTI had initially scheduled the march for September 27 but postponed it to permit talks with the government, according to Al Jazeera. NPR reported that party leaders also said authorities had blocked important approaches to Islamabad. The planned route was announced as starting at Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat, continuing through Karak and Kohat, and then entering Peshawar district.¹²³

The government also urged PTI to delay the protest because of what it described as a rise in Pakistani Taliban attacks in the northwest, NPR reported. NPR also reported that previous protests by Khan’s supporters had turned violent, including a 2024 demonstration that left both security forces and civilians dead.¹