Roads blocked with containers as Pakistan seals capital Islamabad ahead of PTI protest

This marks the second time in as many months that authorities have taken such measures to prevent tens of thousands of people from gathering in the city to demand Khan's release.

A paramilitary soldier stands guard as a motorcyclist drives on a highway, which partially closed with shipping containers ahead of a planned rally by supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan has sealed its capital Islamabad ahead of a planned rally by supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

This marks the second time in as many months that authorities have taken such measures to prevent tens of thousands of people from gathering in the city to demand Khan’s release. The rally is scheduled for Sunday.

The lockdown coincides with a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to Islamabad on Monday.

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Local media have reported that the Interior Ministry is considering suspending mobile phone services in parts of the country in the coming days. On Friday, the National Highways and Motorway Police announced closures of key routes for maintenance.

Also read | View From The Neighbourhood | An upcoming protest in Islamabad and PTI’s leadership crisis: What’s next?

Citizens have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel, with authorities citing intelligence reports of “angry protesters” planning to create a law-and-order situation and cause damage to public and private property during Sunday’s rally.

“There are reports that protesters are arriving with sticks and slingshots,” the police statement added.

Shipping containers in various colours, a familiar sight in Islamabad, have been set up on key roads to control traffic flow. Authorities have also deployed containers to block roads and highways connecting PTI strongholds in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, aiming to prevent demonstrators from reaching Islamabad.

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Pakistan has already imposed a two-month ban on gatherings of more than five people in the capital to deter supporters of Khan and activists from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Ali Amin Gandapur, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stated that he would lead the march from the northwest and claimed arrangements were in place to clear any hurdles or blockades.

Khan has been in prison for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, which his party alleges are politically motivated. Despite his incarceration, he remains highly popular among his supporters.

A three-day lockdown was similarly imposed in Islamabad last month during a security summit.

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