Daijiworld Media Network - Islamabad
Islamabad, Oct 4: Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has announced that its planned long march towards Islamabad will go ahead after a second round of talks with the government ended without a breakthrough.
The talks between government negotiators and PTI leaders began at 4 pm on Saturday and continued through the night before ending early Sunday without an agreement.
The PTI had initially planned to march towards Islamabad on September 27 but postponed the protest to October 4 after the federal government took measures to prevent the demonstration.
A key demand of the PTI is an immediate meeting with its jailed founder Imran Khan, along with access to a hospital where his personal doctors can examine him. Khan, 73, has been incarcerated since 2023 following his conviction in a corruption case and is currently lodged at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The party has also demanded the release of Khan's sisters and others arrested ahead of the planned protest. It has sought a proper medical check-up for Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, and demanded that their cases be heard without interference.
The second round of talks reportedly failed mainly over access to Khan. According to sources, the government insisted that PTI first announce cancellation of the protest before the issue of a meeting with Khan could be considered. The party, however, insisted on meeting its jailed founder before deciding whether to call off the protest.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, who was part of the government delegation, said the talks also failed over the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) government's inability to assure the federal government of cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
KPK is governed by the PTI, and the planned march is scheduled to begin from the province. Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan leader Senator Allama Nasir Abbas said the issue of a meeting with Khan, including access to his personal physician, remained unresolved.
KPK Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced at 12.46 am that the protest would proceed. Supporters from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat are scheduled to join the march from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat at 1 pm on Sunday.
The convoy will halt near Karak for the night before departing at 12.30 pm the following day and staying overnight near Kohat. On October 6, protesters from Kohat, Hangu, Kurram and Orakzai will join the convoy at noon before it moves towards Peshawar and spends the night near Mattani.
Afridi said the caravan would depart from Budh Bair in Peshawar on the afternoon of October 7. Other constituencies in Peshawar will join the march at Kohat Road Bridge and the Motorway Toll Plaza before the convoy spends the night near Charsadda Interchange.
On October 8, protesters will leave Charsadda Interchange at 12.30 pm after participants from Charsadda and Mohmand join them. Afridi said people from across KPK would gather at Khairabad that day and spend the night there. He said details of the next phase of the march towards Islamabad would be announced later.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's political adviser Rana Sanaullah warned that protesters would not be allowed to enter Islamabad.
“No one would be allowed to enter Islamabad,” he told reporters.
The federal government had earlier warned that it would block roads leading to the capital using shipping containers and increase the deployment of security personnel to prevent the protesters from entering Islamabad.