Published : 25 Sep 2026, 09:40 PM
Updated : 25 Sep 2026, 09:40 PM
Leaders of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have vowed to proceed with a nationwide protest demanding the former prime minister’s release, despite a major security crackdown in Islamabad, reports The Guardian.
Meanwhile, the government has deployed tens of thousands of police, blocked highways, and issued arrest warrants in an effort to prevent the march, due to take place over the weekend.
The protest was announced amid growing concerns over the treatment of Khan, who has been in jail since 2023 on corruption charges.
On Friday, PTI leaders were still considering whether to begin the march on Sunday and move slowly towards Islamabad to “exhaust the government” or delay it until next week, The Guardian reported.
Analysts said the protest could pose a major challenge to the military-backed government, which they described as “weak, illegitimate and unpopular”, while Khan remains a popular rallying figure.
The ruling coalition is led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is widely seen as the country’s de facto leader.
Dozens of PTI leaders and ministers have also been detained or had arrest warrants issued against them this week. Khan’s three sisters were arrested on Monday and remain in jail, accused of posing a “grave threat” to security, The Guardian reports.
Among those facing arrest is Sohail Afridi, chief minister of Khan’s home province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a PTI stronghold where thousands of supporters are expected to join the march to the capital.
Afridi said PTI would proceed unless the government made significant concessions over Khan’s treatment and jail conditions, including a fair hearing of his cases.
“The government is panicking – that’s why they have put Islamabad under siege, that’s why they are abducting our ministers,” he was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
“But Imran Khan is the most popular leader of the country and people will come out for him. I am certain they won’t be able to stop the public power of the masses when they come out on streets and take to Islamabad.”
Afridi said the scale of the security deployment had raised fears of a violent confrontation.
“I know they can go to any extent to stop us by brute force, we have no doubt about it. But if we have a large number of people, they can’t open fire at us. Our plan is to bring so many people that they surrender.”
The government has also shut the main highway connecting provincial capital Peshawar with Islamabad.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi defended the security measures as “precautionary” and accused PTI of trying to create “instability and violence”.
More than 1,000 shipping containers, many fitted with spikes, have blocked roads, while sandbags have been placed on bridges. Public gatherings have also been banned.
The shutdown has disrupted businesses, with many unable to receive supplies.
“I have never seen such a situation. Joblessness, inflation and insecurity has made our lives hell but does the government care? No,” said Shahid, 76, a retired businessman.
Khan’s Popularity and Government Efforts to Curb His Influence
Despite efforts by the government and military to weaken Khan’s party and remove the former prime minister from public consciousness, Khan remains viewed by many as an alternative to the current regime, according to The Guardian.
Media organisations have reportedly been instructed not to refer to Khan by name.
PTI alleges Khan is being held in solitary confinement and denied adequate medical treatment and contact with his family or lawyers for months.
Khan denies all charges against him and alleges he is being imprisoned because of the political threat he poses to the government and the country’s powerful military, reports The Guardian. All but one of the court rulings against him have been overturned.
Analysts say the government and its military backers fear the PTI protest could grow into a movement capable of toppling the administration, similar to protests in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
