Supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his PTI party rally during a protest march towards Islamabad in Dera Ismail Khan. (EPA Images pic)

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the party of Imran Khan on Tuesday to call off a protest march moving through the country's northwest towards Islamabad and re-enter negotiations with the government.

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.