Imran Khan supporters begin march towards Islamabad after talks with government fail

Supporters of jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan set off on Sunday, 4 October 2026, from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the direction of Islamabad, according to DW, Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post (SCMP). His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party planned the march to demand his release.

The march began after talks between the government and the PTI did not succeed. DW and Al Jazeera say the talks failed; SCMP says they stalled. Two rounds of talks did not break the deadlock. The march had originally been scheduled for 27 September.

Roughly 5,000 people took part at the start, according to DW and Al Jazeera. Neither outlet names the origin of the figure, and the reports include no independently verified count.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is governed by the PTI. Its chief minister, Sohail Afridi, had earlier posted on social media that the demonstration would go ahead. Videos on the PTI's official social media showed supporters gathering across the province and leaving in convoys.

The government erected barriers on access routes in and around Islamabad. Al Jazeera reports that shipping containers were used. Authorities had been preparing for weeks.

Khan has been in prison since August 2023. According to Al Jazeera, he is 73, and concerns about his health, in particular a right-eye condition, prompted the PTI's campaign. DW reports that the Supreme Court ruled in August that he should be moved to a civilian hospital, but that authorities returned him to prison after a short stay at a government-run medical facility.

DW also reports that past protests by Khan's supporters have turned violent, including in 2024, when security personnel and civilians were killed. The reports do not mention any incidents on the first day of this march.

What is disputed

• Destination. DW describes an 80-kilometre trip to Islamabad lasting several days. Al Jazeera reports that, according to Afridi, the march will reach Khairabad, 80 kilometres west of Islamabad, by Thursday, where a "next phase" will be announced. The reports do not make clear whether or when the march is meant to enter the capital.
• Postponement. DW and Al Jazeera link the delay to the talks. DW also reports that the government cited a resurgence of attacks. The accounts may not be incompatible.

What each side says

• PTI: It seeks Khan's release and his transfer to a hospital with regular family visits, DW reports. It says his convictions and imprisonment are politically motivated.
• Government: Officials say Khan does not need hospitalisation and already receives regular visits, according to DW.
• Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi: He blamed Afridi for the breakdown of the talks. Citing an Islamabad High Court order of 14 September, he warned those who violate it, in remarks quoted by Al Jazeera: "we will pursue them one by one". DW reports he said Afridi would be held responsible for any loss of life.

The reports include no statement from Khan himself.

Analysis

The coming days may turn on where the march stops. If it halts at Khairabad, as Al Jazeera reports Afridi has indicated, both sides would have time to resume contact. An attempt to enter Islamabad could instead test the roadblocks and the court order cited by the interior minister. James Dorsey of the National University of Singapore told AFP, as quoted by Al Jazeera: "It’s a problem for the government, but I don’t think it’s an existential threat". He also suggested security concerns would push Islamabad to avoid escalation. That is one analyst's view, and the outcome remains open.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.