Pakistan: Imran Khan supporters demand ex-PM's release
Thousands of Imran Khan supporters have begun a trek to Islamabad to demand he be freed as Pakistan's political leadership remains in deadlock. The government has set up roadblocks to keep protesters at bay.
Thousands of supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan began a 80-kilometer march to Islamabad on Sunday, aiming to rally hundreds of thousands in Khan's favor. The convoy, comprising 5,000 buses, cars, and trucks, will travel from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party holds power.
Organizers intend to bring about Khan's release from prison, his transfer to a hospital for medical treatment, and regular family visits. Government officials deny Khan's need for hospitalization and claim he receives regular visits. Khan, a former cricket star, remains influential in Pakistan, with his followers alleging his imprisonment is due to political persecution.
Despite facing corruption, treason, and incitement of violence charges, his supporters claim the 2024 election was rigged. James Dorsey of the National University of Singapore describes Khan as a populist leader with broad popular support. The march, initially planned for September 27, was delayed after failed talks aimed at resolving the standoff between Khan's PTI and the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
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