Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters marched towards Islamabad on Sunday, demanding the release of their leader Imran Khan and other political prisoners. The government responded by locking down the capital, suspending mobile internet services, and deploying tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces in riot gear.
Imran Khan’s Call to PTI Supporters
Imran Khan urged his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party supporters to gather at D-Chowk public square in the capital and stay there until their demands are met. In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government deployed tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces in riot gear, blocking highways leading to Islamabad ahead of the opposition protest rally. Police also announced a ban on all gatherings in Islamabad leading up to the rally.
Security Measures in the Capital
Authorities closed major roads in the capital, using shipping containers to prevent protesters from reaching key government installations near the parliament and Supreme Court buildings. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi warned that any protesters entering the protected area would be arrested.
Despite the security and communication clampdowns, PTI leaders and supporters vowed to reach the venue in Islamabad. Reports indicated that police fired tear gas shells at several rallies heading toward the capital. Ali Amin Gandapur, a central PTI leader and the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, stated before departing for Islamabad that they would remain there until all their demands are met.
Internet and WhatsApp Issue in Pakistan
Global internet watchdog NetBlocks reported that WhatsApp backends had been restricted in Pakistan, corroborating reports of media sharing issues. The interior ministry announced plans to shut down mobile data and Wi-Fi services in areas with security concerns, but assured that services across the rest of the country would continue to operate normally.
Islamabad police arrested several lawmakers, including the chief whip of the main opposition PTI, while they were on their way to the capital from different districts of Punjab province. Thousands of PTI supporters gathered at the border of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to start marching toward the heavily fortified capital. Former President Arif Alvi also joined the protesters in Peshawar to proceed towards Islamabad.
Punjab Roads Blocked
Police placed containers at entry and exit points of Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and other cities, mainly at the borders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, to hold off protesters. Pictures shared by TV channels showed mostly deserted roads and people on motorbikes making their way from a narrow corner of a road blocked by trucks.
The PTI claimed that the convoy of National Assembly opposition leader Omar Ayub was targeted near Taxila and shells were fired at it. PTI MNA Sher Afzal Marwat shared a video of his brother Khalid Latif Khan saying his convoy was stopped at Daud Khel and was fired at with strict teargas shelling. However, he asserted that they would reach D-Chowk in any circumstance. In another video, Khalid said that police had been shelling the convoy for over an hour and a half, but the path had been cleared and they should leave for D-Chowk within an hour and a half to two hours.
 supporters marched towards Islamabad on Sunday, demanding the release of their leader Imran Khan and other political prisoners. The government responded by locking down the capital, suspending mobile internet services, and deploying tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces in riot gear.){kind=link}