LAKKI MARWAT (Pakistan): A march demanding the release of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, 73, kicked off on Sunday in the country's northwest after talks to avert the demonstration stalled.
Authorities have been preparing for weeks for the possible arrival of demonstrators in Islamabad, with the march by supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party originally slated for Sept 27 before being postponed until Sunday.
In Lakki Marwat, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is ruled by PTI, an AFP journalist saw thousands of protesters take to the streets.
Many demonstrators carried the opposition party's red-and-green flags.
A huge billboard affixed to the side of a truck read "Release Imran Khan" and featured a beaming picture of him with his hand held aloft.
