Khan supporters march to Islamabad as talks collapse, health concerns mount

Thousands of supporters of Imran Khan are on the move toward Pakistan's capital, having set out from Lakki Marwat, a city 275 kilometers away, after negotiations between his party and the government collapsed over the weekend. The march paused for the night and was expected to resume Monday around midday, with organizers predicting it would reach a town roughly 80 kilometers west of Islamabad by Thursday. The 73-year-old former prime minister remains imprisoned on corruption charges—a 17-year sentence handed down last year—and faces accusations in more than 100 additional cases, all of which he contends are politically motivated.

Khan's detention has become a flashpoint in Pakistani politics, and the march itself is a measure of his enduring grip on his supporters despite being behind bars. His family has raised alarm about his physical condition, claiming he has lost most of his vision in his right eye because prison authorities did not respond to medical concerns. In August, Khan was briefly transferred to a state hospital for examination and treatment following complaints about his health deteriorating, though doctors subsequently declared him medically fit. His family and his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, criticized the authorities for not following a court order to have him examined at a specific private hospital instead.

The negotiations that were supposed to prevent this march broke down over two core demands. Khan's party wanted access to him so its leaders could seek his counsel on national and political matters, and it demanded that he receive an immediate medical examination and treatment. The government rejected both requests. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Sohail Afridi—who leads the PTI-ruled region—of sabotaging the talks by backing away from earlier commitments on counter-terrorism issues. Afridi, for his part, has framed the march as a political awakening, telling supporters on Sunday that the movement would soon reach every corner of the country and turn every public square into a center of activity.

Authorities in Islamabad have already begun fortifying the capital against the approaching crowd, stacking shipping containers to block key access routes. This defensive posture reflects the weight of recent history. When Khan was first arrested in May 2023, his supporters took to the streets in violent demonstrations that left at least eight people dead. During those protests, supporters ransacked a military commander's residence in Lahore, destroying chandeliers and making off with furniture, paintings, and even peacocks. The army had to be deployed to restore order. The current march carries the same potential for escalation, particularly as it draws closer to the seat of government.

Khan's sister, Aleema Khanum, was arrested in Lahore on September 20 on charges that she had been mobilizing people to create disorder and chanting slogans against the government. Her detention adds another layer of tension to the family's standoff with authorities. Khan himself, who captained Pakistan's national cricket team before entering politics and served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has become a symbol of defiance for his supporters—a figure whose imprisonment they view as unjust and whose medical condition they see as evidence of state negligence. Former international cricket captains have issued public appeals to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in recent months, urging that Khan be given proper medical care. As the march continues its advance on Islamabad, the question is no longer whether tensions will rise, but how far they will go.