Supporters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have embarked on a large-scale protest march from the country’s northwest towards the capital, Islamabad, following the collapse of government negotiations aimed at preventing the demonstration. More than 5,000 individuals reportedly commenced the rally on Sunday.

The march, organized by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was initially slated for September 27 but was postponed to allow for discussions between the government and PTI leadership. However, two rounds of talks over the weekend failed to resolve the impasse, prompting the PTI to proceed with its original plan.

This action represents the latest effort by the PTI to pressure the government into releasing Khan, who remains the country's most popular political figure according to polls. He has been incarcerated since August 2023, following a series of convictions that his party maintains are politically motivated. Notably, all but one of these convictions have since been suspended or overturned on appeal.

Videos shared on the PTI's official social media channels depicted supporters gathering and joining convoys in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, which is currently governed by the PTI. Sohail Afridi, the Chief Minister of KP, had previously announced on social media that the march in solidarity with Khan would proceed. Afridi stated the march aims to reach Khairabad, approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Islamabad, by Thursday, where plans for the "next phase" will be unveiled.

The Pakistani government has been bracing for the arrival of PTI demonstrators for weeks, erecting barriers with shipping containers to obstruct key access routes to Islamabad. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the failure of the talks on Sunday, accusing Afridi of "sabotaging" the negotiations. Naqvi asserted that the government would not permit the PTI to "create a disturbance."

Naqvi also referenced an Islamabad High Court order from September 14, which stipulates that no political party or its leadership possesses the "lawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas and buildings in Islamabad." He warned that the authorities would pursue "one by one" any individuals, whether workers or politicians, who violate these orders, regardless of their location.

The PTI has consistently argued that the legal proceedings against Khan are a means to sideline him from national politics ahead of general elections. Khan himself has maintained his innocence, asserting that the charges are fabricated. The ongoing political tension underscores the deep divisions within Pakistan and the significant public support Imran Khan continues to command.

As the march progresses, attention will be focused on the government's response and whether the PTI can sustain momentum and achieve its objective of securing Khan's release. The "next phase" of the plan, to be announced at Khairabad, remains a key point of anticipation.