Janice R. Andrews
Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, was placed under strict security measures Friday as supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan planned a large-scale protest march. Thousands of demonstrators, largely from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, vowed to enter the city despite potential clashes with law enforcement.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government took swift action, blocking major routes with shipping containers and increasing police and paramilitary presence. To hinder protesters’ communication, authorities also cut off internet and mobile services.
Despite Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s appeal to cancel the rally, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaaf (PTI) party pressed on. Khan, currently imprisoned on fraud charges his supporters view as politically motivated, encouraged his followers via social media to march “fearlessly” for justice and “true liberation.”
The polarizing figure, ousted by a no-confidence vote in 2022, maintains strong support, particularly in PTI-dominated regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The province’s Chief Minister, Ali Amin Khan, warned of potential retaliation if police obstruct their entry into Islamabad.
Tensions have escalated, with over 4,000 Khan supporters and hundreds of Afghan refugees arrested in pre-protest raids. The government, mindful of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Council summit and ongoing security threats from the Pakistani Taliban, is determined to maintain order.
With a fragile economy and a recent $7 billion IMF loan at stake, authorities are striving to contain the unrest as the standoff between Khan’s loyalists and the state intensifies.
