ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters began a march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday to demand the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, while authorities blocked entrances to the capital.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is leading the procession. Thousands of supporters had joined by Monday afternoon, with Peshawar among the planned stops.
However, federal ministers described the march as illegal and vowed to prevent protesters from entering Islamabad. Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused PTI of “double standards and hypocrisy”.
Two rounds of negotiations over the weekend ended without agreement after Khan’s allies insisted that he participate in political talks.
Meanwhile, authorities placed shipping containers and sandbags across entrances to Islamabad. Police and paramilitary deployments extended across the capital and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Afridi urged young supporters to join the march for their jailed leader.
Khan’s family and party colleagues claim authorities are holding him in solitary confinement and denying visits by his doctor and relatives. They also report that he has a serious eye condition and high blood pressure. Authorities detained Khan’s three sisters before the protest on national security grounds.
Read: Punjab Extends Section 144 Gathering Ban Until October 15
Separately, opposition leaders said the federal government might impose emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to halt the procession.
Khan has remained in prison since 2023. He served as prime minister from 2018 until 2022, when parliament removed him through a vote of no confidence.
