Il Nuovo Postiglione - Pakistan PM urges Imran Khan supporters to end protest march

Supporters of the jailed former prime minister began the march on Sunday, demanding Khan's release after several rounds of talks with authorities aimed at de-escalation stalled.

"I still ask them to come to their senses. End your long marches and sit-ins. Once you end them, we will certainly sit down with you and talk," Sharif said, referring to the leadership of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

The Pakistani premier also warned of the demonstration's negative impact on the economy, saying that undermining the government's economic efforts "would amount to hostility toward the state".

"We will not allow this to happen. The law will take its course. Protecting the lives and property of the people is our responsibility, and we will ensure this by all means," Sharif said.

Authorities have been preparing for weeks for the possible arrival of demonstrators in Islamabad, with the march originally slated for September 27 and then postponed until Sunday.

An AFP journalist saw thousands of people take to the streets on Monday in support of Khan in Kohat district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is ruled by PTI.

Khan, a hugely popular former cricket star, has been behind bars since August 2023 and faces scores of charges ranging from corruption to treason and inciting violence, following widespread anti-establishment riots in May of that year.

He and his legal team reject the allegations, branding them as politically motivated cases aimed at neutralising his popularity.

E.Spicuzza--INP