In anticipation of a planned protest by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, authorities in Islamabad have significantly increased security measures, sealing off the capital on Friday. The protest, aimed at demonstrating solidarity with the judiciary and pressuring for the release of the former Prime Minister, comes as Khan remains incarcerated at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The call for protest was initiated by Khan, a 71-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician, who has been imprisoned for over a year. His supporters have been urged to gather at the iconic D-Chowk in Islamabad, a historical site where Khan previously held a 126-day sit-in in 2014 against alleged election rigging.
In response to the planned demonstration, the government imposed Section 144, prohibiting all protests and gatherings within the city. Authorities have taken extensive measures to restrict access, including blocking major entry points with shipping containers and banning pillion riding for two days. The Metro bus service connecting Islamabad and Rawalpindi has also been suspended.
Similar security measures have been implemented in Rawalpindi, where Section 144 has been enforced and main roads leading to the city have been obstructed. Police and paramilitary Rangers have been deployed to maintain order and prevent protesters from breaching the barriers set up around the capital.
Interior Minister Moshin Naqvi announced that robust measures were in place to control potential protesters and urged the PTI to postpone their demonstration, citing the presence of the Malaysian Prime Minister in the city and the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit scheduled for October 15-16. “Those who get caught will not be shown any leniency,” Naqvi stated, criticizing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for endorsing the protest.
Despite government pressures, Gandapur has vowed to lead the protest and overcome the established blockades. Reports suggest that Khan was advised through Gandapur to reconsider the protest, but he indicated that the demonstration could be delayed if the government postponed constitutional amendments until October 25. However, no response has been received from the authorities regarding this proposal.
Determined to proceed, Gandapur, who also heads the PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, is poised to leave for Islamabad in the morning. In a video statement, he reaffirmed his commitment to reach D-Chowk at any cost, declaring, “We will reach Islamabad according to the directions of Imran Khan despite violence and barricades erected to stop us.”
Sources By Agencies