OMM Redaksiyası
About 5,000 supporters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan began marching from Lakki Marwat towards Islamabad on Sunday, calling for his release, the BBC reported.
Marchers carried flags of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. A truck in the convoy displayed a large billboard reading “release Imran Khan”.
March expected to continue towards Islamabad
The demonstrators stopped overnight in Karak and were expected to resume their journey around midday on Monday. Sohail Afridi, chief minister of PTI-governed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said he expected the march to reach a town about 80km (50 miles) west of Islamabad by Thursday.
Afridi urged people to take an active part in the political process, saying the movement would reach every corner of the country. Authorities in Islamabad have placed shipping containers on key routes into the capital.
PTI says negotiations ended without agreement
The march had originally been planned for the previous week but was postponed to allow talks between the government and PTI leaders. The party said negotiations failed after authorities rejected its request for leaders to meet Khan and consult him on national and political matters.
PTI also said it had asked for Khan to receive an immediate medical examination and treatment. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused Afridi of “sabotaging” the negotiations, while local media reported that Naqvi said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had withdrawn earlier commitments on counter-terrorism issues.
Concerns over Khan’s health
Concern has grown in recent months about the 73-year-old’s health. His supporters say he has not been able to access proper medical care. In August, Khan was briefly moved from prison to a state-run hospital for an examination and treatment after complaints about his declining health. Doctors later declared him “medically fit”.
Khan’s family and PTI criticised authorities, saying the hospital visit did not comply with a court order for him to be examined by doctors at a particular private hospital.
Khan was imprisoned in August 2023 and has faced charges in more than 100 cases, including allegations involving state secrets and the sale of state gifts. He has said the cases are politically motivated. Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were each sentenced to 17 years late last year.
He served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022 and previously captained Pakistan’s national cricket team. His imprisonment has prompted large-scale protests and a government crackdown. Former international cricket captains have also appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure Khan receives proper medical care.
On 20 September, Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum, was arrested in Lahore. The arrest order accused her of mobilising people to create law-and-order problems and of raising slogans against the government.
