In a rapidly intensifying political showdown, over 1,500 supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been arrested across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and other regions in the past 24 hours, as the party mobilized a series of protests demanding the release of its incarcerated leader, Imran Khan.
The protests, led by Bushra Bibi, wife of Imran Khan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, have triggered a large-scale security operation across the federal capital and surrounding areas.
The PTI convoy, which set off from Peshawar on Sunday, reached Dhoke Ghar near Burhan by early Monday morning and is now making its way towards Islamabad despite widespread roadblocks and a heavy police presence. The rally is expected to continue its journey towards the capital in a bid to pressure the government into releasing Imran Khan.
In response to the PTI protests, the authorities have deployed 6,000 police personnel across various entry points into Islamabad, with an additional 2,000 officers on standby. This move is aimed at preventing PTI supporters from entering the capital, where tensions are already running high. The government has enforced Section 144, a law that prohibits large gatherings and has closed key roads, including the Srinagar Highway and the Expressway at Khanna Bridge. Surveillance has also been heightened across the city with 70 locations monitored via CCTV cameras.
