A mass movement led by supporters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is underway, with thousands of demonstrators marching toward the capital Islamabad to demand his immediate release and urgent medical intervention for his declining health. The long-awaited protest kicked off on Sunday from Lakki Marwat, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province roughly 275 kilometers southwest of the capital, drawing an estimated 5,000 participants carrying the signature red-and-green flags of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. After pausing overnight for rest, the march was scheduled to resume by midday local time Monday, with provincial PTI leadership projecting it will reach a town 80 kilometers west of Islamabad by the end of the week.
The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been imprisoned since August 2023, when he was sentenced to 14 years in prison on corruption charges tied to allegations that he unlawfully sold state gifts received during his time in office from 2018 to 2022. In total, Khan faces more than 100 separate legal cases that cover charges ranging from leaking state secrets to public disorder, all of which he and his party have repeatedly denounced as politically motivated attempts to remove him from Pakistani politics. Even behind bars, Khan remains one of the most influential and polarizing figures in the country, and past mass demonstrations in his support have devolved into deadly violence followed by harsh government crackdowns.
In recent months, growing alarm over Khan’s rapidly deteriorating health has galvanized PTI supporters to take action. Members of Khan’s family have claimed he has lost nearly all vision in his right eye, alleging that prison officials have refused to authorize the specialized treatment he needs. A previous transfer to a state-run hospital for a medical evaluation in August, triggered by widespread public outcry over his health, ended after doctors officially declared him “medically fit.” However, Khan’s family and PTI rejected the outcome, criticizing authorities for ignoring a court order that required Khan to be examined by specialists at a specific private hospital, rather than a state-run facility.
The march was originally planned to launch last week but was delayed to allow for negotiations between the PTI and the current federal government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Those talks ultimately collapsed into a deadlock, according to statements from both sides. PTI officials say negotiations broke down because the government rejected two core demands: granting PTI leaders direct, private access to Khan to discuss ongoing political and national issues, and authorizing immediate, specialized medical care for the former prime minister.
In response, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi placed blame for the failed talks on PTI leadership, specifically accusing Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, of sabotaging negotiations. Local Pakistani media reports quote Naqvi as saying the provincial PTI government backed out of earlier, agreed-upon commitments related to counter-terrorism policy.
Afridi has doubled down on the PTI’s demands, framing the march as a national movement that will spread to every corner of Pakistan. “By [Thursday] this movement will have reached every corner of the country and every square will have become a centre of activity,” Afridi told reporters on Sunday, urging all Pakistanis to participate in what he called a critical moment for the country’s political process.
In preparation for the approaching demonstration, Islamabad security officials have taken steps to block entry to the capital, piling large shipping containers across major access roads to prevent protesters from entering the city center. The political unrest comes on the heels of a series of recent escalating moves against PTI leadership: in September, Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum was arrested in the eastern city of Lahore on charges that she mobilized members of the public to create public disorder and chanted anti-government slogans.
International support for Khan has also emerged in recent months, with multiple former international cricket captains—following his career as captain of Pakistan’s national cricket team—have publicly written to Prime Minister Sharif, urging the government to guarantee Khan receives timely, appropriate medical care. As the march progresses toward Islamabad, the standoff between the PTI and the federal government threatens to deepen political instability in the South Asian nation.