Thousands of Imran Khan supporters begin march after talks with government fail
publishers 34articles 42first reported 4 Oct, 06:45 UTCdeveloping since 4 Oct · 16 editions
Thousands of supporters of jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan began a protest march in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, demanding his release after negotiations between his party and the government ended without agreement.
The march started in Lakki Marwat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is governed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Provincial Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is leading the demonstration, with participants expected to stop in several cities as they travel through the province. Multiple outlets reported that the march was headed toward Islamabad, although the BBC said organizers had not formally announced the capital as their destination.
PTI said negotiations failed after authorities rejected demands that party leaders and Khan’s doctors be given access to him. The government said the dispute also involved PTI’s position on counterterrorism policy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The march had originally been scheduled for September 27 but was postponed to allow talks.
Authorities deployed police and paramilitary forces around Islamabad and placed shipping containers and other barriers on key routes into the capital. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the government would not permit protesters to enter and disrupt the city.
Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is serving a corruption sentence while facing additional cases. He denies wrongdoing and says the prosecutions are politically motivated. On Monday, an Islamabad anti-terrorism court separately ordered that he appear physically or by video link at a November 5 hearing in a case arising from unrest at the city’s Judicial Complex in February 2023.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 30 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- Source articles
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- Given to the writer
- 8, 5 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
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- This version written
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- Second model (editor)
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