Pakistani police moved to choke off a major protest by supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, detaining thousands of people and blocking the main roads into Islamabad, according to DW. The capital was placed under a security lockdown as authorities tried to keep Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters from reaching the city.
The rally was built around three demands: Khan's release, the release of other PTI members and the resignation of the current government, which the protesters say benefited from a rigged election. DW reported that highways leading into Islamabad were closed, mobile and internet service was suspended in areas with security concerns, and police also made arrests in Lahore as the city braced for the march.
The shutdown was not just about one demonstration. PTI supporters were expected to approach the capital from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which made the road closures part of a broader attempt to prevent the movement from gathering momentum. Local police said gatherings of any sort had been banned, and Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a key Khan ally, urged supporters to gather near D Chowk in the Red Zone.
DW said the authorities had used similar tactics before expected PTI protests in October, when the situation turned violent, one policeman was killed, dozens of officers were injured and protesters were arrested. The latest crackdown shows how quickly a street rally in Pakistan can become a test of state control, especially when it is tied to Khan's continuing popularity.
Khan remains one of the country's most polarizing political figures even after his 2022 ouster in a no-confidence vote. He has been serving a three-year jail sentence since 2023 and faces about 150 criminal cases, including allegations of corruption and incitement to violence. His supporters insist the cases are political. Khan had been granted bail last December, but he remained behind bars because of other legal troubles. That combination of legal pressure and mass mobilization has kept the confrontation between PTI and the government alive.
By turning the route into a checkpoint, the state is trying to separate the politics of Khan from the politics of the capital. Islamabad is where federal power is visible, so a march there carries more weight than protests held elsewhere, and that is why PTI has repeatedly tried to force the issue in the city. The government, in turn, seems to be betting that a show of force before the crowd assembles is cheaper than allowing a confrontation at D Chowk after the fact. That calculation may keep the streets quieter in the short term, but it also risks making Khan's supporters feel that normal political channels no longer exist for them. With mobile and internet services restricted, the protest also loses the rapid coordination that makes modern demonstrations harder to police. The result is a familiar Pakistani pattern: the state narrows the physical space for dissent, and the opposition treats every barrier as proof of exclusion. If PTI can still summon people under those conditions, it strengthens Khan's standing despite prison. If it cannot, the crackdown may buy time but not resolution. Either way, the episode keeps the dispute centered on access, not just on policy.
