Thousands of PTI supporters poured into the streets of Lakki Marwat on Sunday, 28 September, clutching red and green flags while a billboard on a truck screamed "Release Imran Khan" with the former cricketer’s smiling face. The protest kicked off after earlier talks to avert the demonstration failed, and the march began as a rally of dissent against Khan’s imprisonment.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced that the march would start in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and reach Khairabad—80 kilometres west of Islamabad—by Thursday. In anticipation, security forces stacked double‑loaded shipping containers on main entry routes to the capital, blocking traffic and public transit in a bid to keep demonstrators out.
Khan has been behind bars since August 2023, facing charges of corruption, treason and inciting violence. His lawyers dismiss the accusations as politically motivated, while PTI has demanded the release of his three sisters, who were arrested last month, further inflaming the situation.
Tim Willasey‑Wilsey of the Royal United Services Institute warned that the protests are fundamentally driven by economic hardship, citing rising fuel and food prices linked to regional conflicts. James Dorsey of the National University of Singapore described Khan as a populist leader whose broad support fuels the determination of the government to prevent the march from reaching Islamabad.
The Supreme Court had ordered Khan to be moved to a civilian hospital in August, but authorities returned him to prison after a brief stay at a government‑run facility. With the march set to finish in Khairabad, the next key development will be the government’s decision on whether to permit the protestors to enter Islamabad or to enforce further restrictions.