Authorities in Pakistan took important measures on Friday to stop an anti-government rally in Islamabad, organized by supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In a transfer to keep up order, officers sealed off the capital and suspended cellphone providers, marking the newest try and suppress protests calling for Khan’s launch and opposition to the ruling coalition, which Khan’s celebration deems illegitimate following a disputed election.
Transport containers had been deployed to impede entry and exit factors in Islamabad, with a heavy police and paramilitary presence making certain compliance with a ban on public gatherings. Inside Minister Mohsin Naqvi emphasised the federal government’s resolve to keep up order, stating, “If somebody plans to storm Islamabad, we wouldn’t let that occur.”
He urged Khan’s supporters to postpone the rally to keep away from disrupting preparations for the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) assembly on October 15-16, which shall be attended by high-profile leaders, together with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Chinese language Premier Li Qiang.
Regardless of the federal government’s warnings, Khan inspired his supporters to assemble outdoors parliament, declaring, “I would like you all to achieve D-Chowk right this moment for a peaceable protest rally. This struggle has entered a decisive section.”
Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023, but candidates aligned with him secured essentially the most seats within the February normal election, which had been inadequate to kind a authorities. As an alternative, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition took energy.
As tensions rose, Islamabad police issued a stern warning in opposition to any actions that might disrupt public order, reiterating the ban on gatherings. Colleges within the capital had been closed, and cellphone providers had been disabled underneath directives from the inside ministry, though a ministry spokesperson didn’t touch upon the scenario.