LAHORE – Pakistan’s most populous region Punjab has been placed under massive security to contain convoy of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) which now enters the region, and is on its way to Islamabad.
Amid massive protests, entry and exit points of federal capital Islamabad have been sealed, while internet services remained suspended in these cities due to security concerns. Hundreds of PTI workers have been arrested after clashes with police.
As Imran Khan’s wife and party members are making it the capital, the government deployed massive security measures to prevent their entry. Authorities also sealed several roads leading to the capital, including motorways and GT Road, with containers blocking key highways.
The government took stern measures, placing barbed wire and trenches have been strategically placed to block routes from KP and Azad Kashmir.
To avoid any massive protests, over 40,000 police, Rangers, and Frontier Corps personnel have been stationed in capital city Islamabad, while major routes such as the Srinagar Highway at Zero Point and the Expressway at Khanna Pul remain closed. The capital’s red zone and access to Adiala Jail are heavily fortified with 1,200 containers.
Despite roadblocks and security measures, PTI leaders vowed to reach D-Chowk in Islamabad “at any cost”.
PTI leader Sheikh Waqas Akram confirmed that Bushra Bibi, the wife of Imran Khan, is traveling with the convoy from Peshawar. Despite earlier statements claiming health issues had kept her from joining, reports now suggest that Bushra Bibi is heading to Islamabad with the party’s supporters.
Meanwhile, schools remain closed in Islamabad and Murree for safety reasons, as confirmed by Deputy Commissioner Murree, Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi. Several markets also bore the brunt and these protests are causing daily losses of Rs 190 billion, with the GDP losing Rs 144 billion per day.
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