Imran Khan’s PTI tones down planned Nov 24 protests as authorities lock down Islamabad

The capital city of Pakistan is under strict lockdown: Roads have been blocked, internet services partially suspended, public transport halted and heavy security deployed. No, Islamabad is not hosting a cricket match or a multilateral international summit but the country’s biggest opposition leader, who is in jail since last year, has called on his supporters to descend upon the city.

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has vowed to go ahead with its plans to stage Nov 24 protests in Islamabad to press the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to release its leader. The planned protest coincides with the visit of a large Belarusian delegation over the weekend, complicating things even further for the authorities.

Earlier on Thursday (Nov 21), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled the Nov 24 proposed protests unlawful, directing the government to take steps to prevent the gathering of PTI workers in the city.

To ease tensions between the authorities and PTI, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi earlier held talks with the party chairman Gohar Ali Khan. Naqvi is believed to have told Khan about the IHC’s order that prohibits the protests in the wake of the visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Additionally, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) of Pakistan also issued a security alert, saying attackers may have plotted a terror attack during PTI protests in the capital city.

Watch: Pakistan: Government Bans All Public Gatherings In Anticipation Of PTI's Protest Rally

Despite the talks and a ‘security alert’, the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, which is ruled by Imran Khan’s PTI, declared the protest will go ahead as planned “no matter how many obstacles are there”.

By Nov 23 evening, the PTI however announced a major change in its plans. PTI leadership Saturday directed its workers from Punjab to avoid travelling to Islamabad and instead stage protests in their local cities.

PTI leader in Punjab Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar said many workers had already arrived in Islamabad through trains while others would reach Islamabad once authorities open roads again.

(With inputs from agencies)