Pro-Imran Khan march starts in Pakistan's northwes

A march protesting the imprisonment of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan kicked off Sunday in the country's northwest after talks to avoid the demonstration stalled.



Authorities have been preparing for weeks for the possible arrival of demonstrators in Islamabad, with the march planned by supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party originally slated for September 27 and then postponed until Sunday.



In Lakki Marwat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is ruled by PTI, an AFP journalist saw thousands of people take to the streets.



Many of the demonstrators carried red and green flags of the opposition party, and a huge billboard affixed on the side of a truck read "release Imran Khan" and featured a picture of the beaming former prime minister with his hand held aloft.

.

Discontent over Khan's incarceration has mounted in recent months, particularly over the 73-year-old's medical treatment and access to him by doctors and family.