Pro-Imran Khan mass rally launched after Pakistan government talks fail

What the report says

Supporters of jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan began a large protest march on Sunday after negotiations with the government failed to stop the demonstration, according to Al Jazeera. The rally was organized by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and started in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in northwest Pakistan, with more than 5,000 people reported to have joined at the outset.

The march had originally been planned for September 27 but was delayed to allow talks with the government. After two rounds of discussions over the weekend did not produce an agreement, PTI pressed ahead. The protest is intended to increase pressure for Khan’s release from prison. Al Jazeera reported that Khan has been detained since August 2023 and that most of the convictions against him have been suspended or overturned on appeal.

PTI supporters posted videos showing convoys moving through the province, which is governed by the party. Provincial chief minister Sohail Afridi said the march would continue toward Khairabad, about 80 kilometers west of Islamabad, before a decision on the next phase is announced. The government has responded by placing shipping containers on major routes into the capital and warning against any attempt to disrupt public order.

The dispute reflects broader political tensions in Pakistan, where Khan remains a major figure and the authorities appear determined to prevent protesters from entering Islamabad. Al Jazeera also noted concerns raised by PTI over Khan’s health and the recent arrests of some of his relatives, adding to the pressure surrounding the case.