Supporters of jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan launched a march toward Islamabad on October 4, following the breakdown of negotiations over his detention. The demonstration moved toward the capital amid heavy security cordons.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on Sunday that two rounds of weekend talks had failed. He accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi of sabotaging the negotiations and said the government would not allow the PTI to create a disturbance. Authorities erected container barricades and deployed riot police along routes into the capital.

The march began from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat and is expected to reach Khairabad, about 80 km west of Islamabad, by Thursday, where the next phase of the protest will be announced. Khan has been in jail since August 2023 after a series of convictions his party calls politically motivated. A September 14 Islamabad High Court order bars parties from occupying roads and public buildings in the capital.