Islamabad has closed several major highways linking the capital to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway and the Grand Trunk Road at Attock, in a significant security move preceding a planned demonstration by supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The restrictions, effective until further notice, come ahead of a march scheduled for Sunday, September 27, which organizers expect to draw between 20,000 and 25,000 participants.
In the capital, defensive fortifications have been erected, with workers welding shipping containers filled with gravel and sand to block roads. Additionally, several educational institutions have been ordered to close to accommodate approximately 19,000 police officers deployed from the provinces of Punjab and Sindh. While the motorway connecting Lahore remains open, the extensive lockdown of routes leading into Islamabad from the northwest has drawn criticism, with some editorial voices suggesting the government is preparing for an invasion rather than a political rally.
The crackdown extends beyond infrastructure, as authorities have detained Khan’s three sisters, all over the age of 65, along with numerous party legislators. PTI leaders report that at least six lawmakers have been arrested under a 1960 public order law permitting preventive detention without charge, a figure the party claims is significantly higher. In contrast, the Jamaat-e-Islami party recently postponed its own protest march to Islamabad after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held direct talks with its leadership, indicating a differentiated approach by the government toward various opposition groups.
Government officials have defended the measures as necessary precautions. Junior Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry stated that essential services and hospitals remain operational, describing the containers and security deployments as standard preventive steps. However, Prime Minister’s spokesperson Rana Ihsaan Afzal acknowledged the severity of the actions, noting that countering PTI’s rhetoric required measures with consequential impacts. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi framed the protest as a severe threat, citing recent fatal attacks on security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and warning that the state would implement a “permanent plan of action” to resolve the situation definitively.
Analysts suggest the government’s response reflects deep-seated political anxiety rather than solely the immediate threat of the march. Habib Akram, a political analyst based in Lahore, observed that the state appears to view the protest as an existential challenge, driven by unresolved questions regarding the legitimacy of the February 2024 elections and rising public anger over fuel prices. With petrol costs surging to nearly 394 rupees per liter due to regional conflicts, experts warn that the convergence of economic distress and political dissatisfaction could further destabilize the current administration.
This escalation reflects deep political anxiety from the government. The legitimacy of the election results is clearly on trial.
I wonder if other opposition groups are getting preferential treatment while PTI faces the full force of the state.
Fuel prices are skyrocketing to nearly 400 rupees per liter. Economic distress is the real spark here.
Detaining elderly sisters is cruel. Is this really necessary to counter a protest?
Sealing motorways and welding containers? This feels like preparing for war, not policing a peaceful march.