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Talks between Pakistan’s government and representatives of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, party stalled Sunday, as supporters said they would proceed with a planned protest march.
Authorities have been preparing for weeks for the possible arrival of demonstrators in Islamabad. The march was originally scheduled for Sept. 27 before being postponed until Sunday.
Sohail Afridi, chief minister of PTI-governed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said on X early Sunday that the “long march” in support of Khan would go ahead.
Opposition politician Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said last-minute negotiations between the government and PTI representatives had reached a “deadlock.”
Speaking to Geo TV, Abbas said negotiators were unable to resolve demands that included access to Khan by his doctor.
Discontent over Khan’s imprisonment has increased in recent months, particularly over his medical treatment and access to him by doctors and family members.
PTI has also demanded the release of Khan’s three sisters, whose arrests last month further heightened tensions.
Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023 and faces dozens of charges ranging from corruption to treason and inciting violence following widespread anti-establishment riots in May 2023.
Khan and his legal team reject the allegations and say the cases are politically motivated and aimed at weakening his popularity.
Afridi said the demonstration would begin Sunday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and travel to Khairabad, about 80 kilometers west of Islamabad, by Thursday.
He said further stages of the protest would be announced in Khairabad, without specifying when demonstrators could reach the capital.
Authorities in Islamabad have blocked major access roads with double-stacked shipping containers ahead of the protest, disrupting traffic and public transportation.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled in August that Khan should be transferred to a civilian hospital for treatment.
Authorities instead returned him to prison after a brief stay at a government-run hospital.
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