Ex-PM Imran Khan’s party presses on with Islamabad march amid fresh mediation efforts

ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party continued its protest march toward Islamabad as fresh efforts to reopen a dialogue with the government gathered pace through a mediator on Thursday, with government and party officials denying any direct contact between the two sides.

The Islamic springboard initiative progresses toward the nation’s capital under intense diplomatic scrutiny, while a neutral interlocutor facilitates ongoing discussions. Both the federal authorities and the opposition insist that bilateral interaction remains exclusively indirect, underscoring persisting obstacles within the negotiating framework.

Chief Minister Faisal Karim Kundi, steering the province formerly controlled by PTI, spearheaded the procession, which centers primarily on securing the liberty of ex‑prime minister Imran Khan and other senior party cadres housed under judicial custody.

Advancement has been methodical, with the trek originating from Lakki Marwat in the northwest on Sunday. Planners predict the column will arrive at Swabi on October 11 before onward relocating to Attock in northern Punjab and subsequently converging on Islamabad.

PTI’s KP Information Secretary Shaukat Yousafzai confirmed to Arab News that Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam‑Fazl (JUI‑F), is actively engaging in attempts to defuse the impasse after both governments failed to achieve conclusions during two preceding dialogues.

“There are absolutely no direct contacts,” Yousafzai stated. “Maulana Fazlur Rehman Saheb is involved… We hold full confidence in his capacity to broker progress.”

The protest originated amid growing criticism concerning restricted presidential travel permissions for Khan, his protracted incarceration since August 2023, and divergent outlooks on counter‑terrorism strategies encompassing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Federal officials have directed Maulana Fazlur Rehman to champion conciliatory pathways, emphasizing that meaningful reconciliation hinges upon addressing the core demand for Imran Khan’s personal freedom.

The KP Information Secretary warned that initiation of a substantive peace encounter necessitates Khan’s active participation, adding that “without him, this extensive march stands no chance of self‑termination.”

PTI has repeatedly called for access to Khan, whose conviction began in August 2023, while state representatives have categorically rejected the entry of the proclamation team into custody facilities.

Elevated political discord has heightened apprehension regarding a possible federal incursion into KP—a north‑western region grappling with escalating insurgent activity; the governmental bloc previously cited troop casualties as the focal matter of its negotiations with PTI.

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, serving as a centrally sanctioned administrator in the province, referenced recent clusters of deadly assaults that claim lives among security personnel and civilians, probing whether statutory criteria warrant enactment of special administrative arrangements on the ground.

“Each day new martyrs fall, and PTI’s theatrics persist,” the governor declared, accusing provincial leaders of neglecting their duties in safeguarding the sovereign campaign against insurgency.

Addressing queries about potential emergency measures, Kundi asserted that decisive actions rest entirely with the Presidents and Prime Ministers of the nation.

Analysts emphasize that since its inception, the procession has grappled with inconsistent timelines, with Yousafzai noting a forthcoming update once the column crosses the Swabi district boundary on October 11.

Peshawar‑based observer Mehmood Jan Babar characterized the movement as largely localized, stating that attendance concentrates around the chief minister’s demographic strongholds—Darra Adam Khel and Khyber, dominated by the Afridi tribe—and that participants generally retreat home thereafter, indicating absence of a durable mass contingent capable of sustained pressure.

Regional analysts caution that the schedule remains fluid, anticipating lateral movements through individual districts prior to Reaching Swabi, a threshold wherein considerations pertaining to Khan’s situation will likely pivot.

Internationally recognized analyst Ansar Abbasi indicated that Islamabad’s bureaucracy is affording the opposition temporary respite, ostensibly hoping the procession will eventually cease and negotiations intensify.

Prospective legal instruments—including suspension orders or curfew frameworks—are under deliberative review, with officials aiming to interrupt entrenched antagonism before broader instability deepens.

In commenting on the prevailing atmosphere, Governor Kundi observed, “All current dynamics are exertion of pressure rather than genuine dialogue.”

The march has progressively faltered in delivering predictable momentum; Yousafzai hinted that strategic direction will unfurl subsequent to passage through Swabi in mid‑October.

Observant journalists contend that demonstrations are anchored chiefly to locale‑specific loyalties, wherein residents frequently attend events hosted in their immediate surroundings without forming coordinated statewide assemblages aimed at delivering systemic impact.

Forecast of the route remains precarious, as organizer plans await confirmation of an eventual breakthrough inside Swabi, a moment set to critically shape downstream policy calculations.

Alex Abbas, an insider commentator based in Islamabad, underscored that successive constitutional avenues are under evaluation, purportedly aiming to terminate the entrenched confrontational paradigm.

While speculating about the resilience of PTI’s grassroots agitprop before committing to serious participation, Govkar highlighted that high‑velocity pressure—rather than collaborative discussion—is presently dictating operational tempo.

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