Pakistan govt puts Islamabad on lockdown as Imran Khan’s party pushes ahead with march
Pakistani authorities have placed Islamabad on lockdown, deploying thousands of security personnel and blocking roads to prevent a protest march by Imran Khan's PTI party. The party has postponed its demonstration to October 4 while demanding the release of the former prime minister.
Why it matters
The heavy-handed security response underscores the deepening political instability and civil unrest in Pakistan surrounding the detention of Imran Khan.
Leaders of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have vowed to press ahead with nationwide demonstrations demanding his release, as authorities tightened security in Islamabad ahead of the planned march.More than 1,000 shipping containers, many reinforced with spikes, have been placed to block roads, while sandbags have been positioned on bridges and a key highway leading into the capital has been closed. Public gatherings have also been banned in Islamabad, with 22,000 police and other security personnel deployed across the city.The government has also deployed security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and closed the main highway linking the provincial capital, Peshawar, with Islamabad.
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