ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct 4, (GM/NET) – Talks between Pakistan’s government and the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan aimed at avoiding a major demonstration stalled on Sunday, with supporters vowing to go ahead with their protest.
Authorities have been preparing for weeks for the possible arrival of demonstrators in Islamabad, with the march planned by supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party originally slated for September 27 and then postponed until Sunday.
Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is ruled by the PTI, posted on X early on Sunday that the “long march” in support of Khan would go ahead.
Discontent over Khan’s incarceration has mounted in recent months, particularly over the 73-year-old’s medical treatment and access to him by doctors and family.
The PTI has also called for the release of Khan’s three sisters, whose arrests last month further heightened tensions.
Opposition politician Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said last-minute talks between the government and representatives from PTI were in “deadlock”.
Abbas told Geo TV, a popular private news channel, that negotiators had hit an impasse over demands that included access to Khan by his doctor.
Khan, a hugely popular former cricket star, has been behind bars since August 2023 and faces scores of charges, ranging from corruption to treason and inciting violence, following widespread anti-establishment riots in May 2023.
He and his legal team reject the allegations, branding them as politically motivated cases aimed at neutralising his popularity.
Afridi said the demonstration was to begin in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday and make its way to Khairabad, 80 kilometres (50 miles) west of Islamabad, by Thursday.
Further phases of the plan would be announced in Khairabad, the provincial chief minister said, without specifying when demonstrators could arrive in the Pakistani capital.
Authorities in Islamabad have blocked main access routes to the capital with double-stacked shipping containers in preparation for the protest, obstructing traffic and public transit.
The Supreme Court ruled in August that Khan should be moved to a civilian hospital for treatment, but authorities instead returned him to prison after a short stay at a government-run hospital.
