Pakistan interior minister vows to 'protect Islamabad' as Imran Khan's supporters march towards capital to stage protest

Islamabad: Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi Sunday vowed to "protect Islamabad" as thousands of supporters of Imran Khan made their way to the capital to stage a protest amid heavy deployment of security forces and restrictions on mobile and internet services.

The 72-year-old jailed former premier issued a "final call" on November 13 for nationwide protests on November 24, denouncing what he termed as the stolen mandate, the unjust arrests of people and the passage of the 26th amendment, which he said has strengthened a “dictatorial regime”.

His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has called on the public to join the march to "break the shackles of slavery." The interior minister visited the D-Chowk, where Khan's party intend to hold a sit-in. The D-Chowk is located close to several important government buildings: the Presidency, the Prime Minister's Office, the Parliament, and the Supreme Court. Rangers, along with police and Frontier Constabulary, have been deployed to monitor the area.

Talking to the media, Naqvi said that the government has been forced to take strict security measures. "One option is that we let them come and paralyse Islamabad. The other option is to protect Islamabad,” he said, adding that those marching towards the D-Chowk would face arrests.

Naqvi maintained that the blockades were “not as bad as last time” and that the government was trying to give as much relief as possible to those inconvenienced.

"The area where they (the PTI) have called the protest is a protected area of Islamabad, monitored by the IG (inspector general) and DIG (deputy inspector general),” Naqvi said.

He also said that mobile services were still operational while the internet had been shut down in some areas.

Naqvi criticised the timing of the protest, saying that the protestors were using the same route through which the visiting delegation of Belarus was supposed to pass.

"If you wish to protest, that is your right, but you know exactly who is coming and you have been blocking off roads and causing trouble,” he said.

Separately, Information Minister Atta Tarar said some routes in the city are closed, while others are still open. “The people responsible for the closure of the city are the PTI,” he said.

The government has announced a public holiday for the educational institutions in Islamabad due to roadblocks.

Meanwhile, Khan's supporters were still away from the capital city and it was not clear when they would make it to the destination.

The federal government has taken several steps to block the protest, including deploying heavy security forces, sealing key roads, and setting up barriers around the capital.

Containers have been placed across the capital city, including along the Srinagar Highway, GT Road, and the Expressway, limiting access to strategic areas like D-Chowk, Islamabad Airport, and the A-11 point at New Margalla Road.

Earlier in the day, a convoy under the leadership of Khan's wife Bushra Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur left for Islamabad from Peshawar.

Geo News reported that Bibi was part of the convoy that started from Peshawar, but the KP chief minister was leading the protest. It was said that Bibi would not attend the protest.

KP government spokesperson Muhammad Ali Saif said all arrangements have been made to remove the obstacles. He alleged that last night the police opened fire on the anti-barricading machinery and tried to set it on fire, but the PTI supporters foiled the arson attempt.

He also said that the government still has time to fulfil their demands, warning that there could be a situation like Bangladesh, where a mass protest led by students toppled longtime prime minister Sheikh Hasina's government in August.

Khan's party shared pictures and videos of various groups leaving from different cities for Islamabad to take part in the protest.

In the national capital, police were taking no chances to let anyone enter the city and arrested about 16 protestors from the Faizabad area of Rawalpindi as they tried to enter Islamabad.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and PTI leader, Omar Ayub Khan, said that their goal is to reach the capital.

"Convoys from Abbottabad and Mansehra will also travel with us," he said, adding that their mission is to release the PTI founder.

Meanwhile, internet tracking monitor Netblocks said WhatsApp backends have been restricted in Pakistan.

The Interior Ministry has emphasised that, in accordance with court orders, no protests or sit-ins will be allowed in Islamabad, and any attempts to disrupt public order will be met with legal action.

Khan, in a statement, urged the masses to unite for the protest, calling it a movement for freedom and justice.

The federal government has warned against any unlawful protests, stating that no one will be permitted to hold a demonstration in violation of judicial orders, with legal action promised against any violators.

Also, Pakistan Railways has suspended all train services between Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar in light of the ongoing PTI protest, according to the Express Tribune newspaper.

Public transport, including metro bus services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, has been halted, and all bus terminals at Faizabad, linking the twin cities, have been barricaded.

Section 144 – which prohibits gatherings of individuals – has been in effect in Islamabad since November 18.

Khan, 72, has been implicated in dozens of cases since his government was dismissed through a no-confidence motion in 2022. He has been in Adiala Jail at Rawalpindi since last year facing, according to his party, over 200 cases; got bail in some of them, was convicted in some others, and hearings going on for some more.

Khan's party won the largest number of seats in the February general elections despite contesting as independents as the party was denied an election symbol and the PTI chief has already alleged that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its coalition partners, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had “stolen the mandate” to grab power at the federal level.