Pakistan's ex-PM supporters march to capital despite heavy security blocks
Mass-protest reaches Islamabad edges as Khanʼs followers demand his freedom after 1.5 years in jail. Government blocks roads with containers while police-forces try to stop march-participants
Security-forces block main roads in Islamabad as Imran Khanʼs supporters approach the city-center: police set-up checkpoints while paramilitary units patrol streets with riot-gear
The march (led by Bushra Bibi Khanʼs wife and Ali Amin Gandapur) reached capitals outskirts despite governments attempts to stop it. Public-transport shutdown in Punjab province didnt stop hundreds of protesters from moving towards parliament building
Authorities placed shipping-containers on highways; closed schools in Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi and slowed-down internet services to control crowd movement. “We wouldnt let them storm the capital‚“ Punjab minister Uzma Bukhari stated - mentioning about 80 arrests of protest-participants
- Public transport between cities stopped
- Schools closed in two main cities
- Internet and messaging apps slowed down
- Police checkpoints on main roads
The ex-prime minister has been in jail since late-2023 facing different charges which his party denies. This protest comes after previous october demonstration turned into clashes; showing ongoing political divide in this south-asian country of 241-million people
The military plays key-role in Pakistani politics - Khan lost power in 2022 after disagreements with army leadership. His party members say police used harsh-tactics and made many arrests‚ while some officers got hurt during small fights in different locations
