Thousands march towards Islamabad demanding Imran Khan’s release

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has started a “long march” toward Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The party wants the release of jailed former prime minister Mr. Imran Khan. The party began the march today, Monday, October 5, with thousands of supporters. This came after several rounds of talks with the government failed.

PTI sources say the protest rally began last Sunday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It has passed through several areas and is now moving toward Islamabad. The party first planned the march for September 27. It put the march off to give a chance for talks with the government of Prime Minister Mr. Shehbaz Sharif. Both sides could not settle their differences over the weekend, so the talks failed.

Authorities have set up tight security in Islamabad and nearby areas because of the PTI program. Thousands of police and paramilitary forces guard sensitive government offices, the parliament building and foreign embassies. Officials have also placed big shipping containers as barricades to block the roads into the capital.

Interior Minister Mr. Mohsin Naqvi said the government will not let the protesters enter the capital in any way. He claims the talks failed because both sides did not agree on how to fight terrorism in the northwest. The PTI rejects this claim. The party says the government tried to press it unfairly to give in.

Mr. Imran Khan, a former cricket star, lost power in April 2022 through a no confidence vote. In February 2024, the country held an election. The PTI has said since then that the current Sharif government came to power through vote rigging.