Pakistani capital in lockdown before march by Imran Khan’s supporters

Pakistan’s capital has been placed under a security lockdown to prevent supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan from marching to Islamabad as part of the nationwide protests to seek his release.

Authorities suspended mobile and internet services in “areas which present security concerns”, and blocked highways leading to Islamabad in advance of the nationwide “final call” protests organised by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Most major roads of Islamabad have also been blocked by the government with shipping containers and large contingents of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in riot gear to halt the march from reaching the parliament.

Gatherings of any sort have been banned under legal provisions, the Islamabad police said in a statement.

The PTI’s demands include the release of all its leaders, including Khan, as well as the resignation of the current government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the wake of what it says was a rigged election earlier this year.

“Khan has called on us to remain there till all our demands are met,” Ali Amin Gandapur, a key Khan aide and chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said in a video message on Saturday.

Gandapur is expected to lead the largest convoy into Islamabad, calling on people to gather near the entrance of the city’s red zone, known as “D Chowk”.

Islamabad’s red zone houses the country’s parliament building, important government installations, as well as embassies and foreign institutions’ offices.

Reporting from Islamabad, Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder said it was unprecedented that all major highways and motorways were blocked.

“Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place to stop the protesters, some of whom have already been arrested.

“Reports we are getting that supporters of the former prime minister are coming from across the country, some of them even crossed a river by dinghies and boats because key bridges are blocked.

“So, it is anticipated that there would be a large crowd of protesters. How security is going to deal with them is another question,” he said.

WhatsApp services restricted

Pakistani authorities in a post on X late on Saturday, said communication services will continue to operate normally in the rest of the country. They did not specify what areas would be affected, nor did they say how long the suspension would be in place.

Global internet watchdog NetBlocks said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that live metrics showed WhatsApp messaging services had been restricted before the protests.

NetBlocks said authorities also imposed a ban on social media platforms and targeted VPN services.

Last month, authorities suspended mobile phone services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to thwart a pro-Khan rally. The shutdown disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing and food delivery.

Khan’s supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events.

Khan was removed from power in 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no confidence. The government charged and jailed him in dozens of cases, including sedition and terrorism. While Khan has got bail and even been acquitted in several cases, he continues to remain behind bars, which the PTI says is a ploy to prevent his return to power.

Khan and his party deny all the charges and say the cases are politically motivated.

The cricketer-turned-politician enjoys great popular support. When he was briefly detained in May last year, PTI supporters staged nationwide protests. The demonstrations escalated as state buildings and military installations were attacked, resulting in thousands of arrests. Although only about 100 people faced military trials.