Supporters of the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) sit atop a vehicle as they head towards Islamabad, during an anti-government rally, in Peshawar, Pakistan, on November 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Thousands of supporters of Pakistan’s imprisoned former premier Imran Khan have defied a lockdown and widespread arrests to head to the capital Monday (November 25, 2024) to demand his release.

Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated.

The “long march” comes ahead of a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to Islamabad.

The convoy of vehicles carrying protesters is expected to reach the capital later Monday. Security officials say they expect between 9,000-11,000 demonstrators, while the PTI claims the number will be much higher.

The lockdown, which has been in place for two days, has disrupted daily life. Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible. Ambulances and cars were seen turning back from areas along the key Grand Trunk Road highway in Punjab province, where shipping containers were used to block roads.

Footage circulating online showed some protesters, who had been traveling all night, operating heavy machinery to remove the containers.

“We are determined and we will reach Islamabad, though police are using tear gas to stop our march,” Kamran Bangash, a PTI senior leader, told The Associated Press. “We will overcome all hurdles one by one, and our supporters are removing shipping containers from roads.”

Bangash also said Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who was recently released on bail in a graft case, will lead the march along with Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where Khan’s party remains in power.

Almost 50 kilometers (31 miles) away from Islamabad, Bibi, wearing a white head-to-toe burqa, addressed protesters while sitting in a truck, urging them to remain determined to “achieve their goal” and free Khan. She then chanted, “God is great” and left.

Khan’s main political opponent, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, heads the current government.

Sharif’s spokesman, Attaullah Tarar, said on Sunday that whenever any high-profile foreign delegation comes to Pakistan, the PTI “begins the politics of long marches and onslaught on Islamabad to harm the economy.”

Some economists say protests cause billions of rupees in damages to the country’s fragile economy.

Protesters on Sunday night burned trees as police fired tear gas to disperse crowds. Khan supporters retaliated by using slingshots and pelting security personnel with rocks.

In a bid to foil the protest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns,” which the PTI said affected the efficacy of its call for protest on social media. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested.

Authorities say only courts can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case, in August 2023.

Khan has also been sentenced in several cases, including to three years, 10 years, 14 years and seven years to be served concurrently under Pakistani law. His convictions were later overturned on appeal but he cannot be freed due to other pending cases against him.

Amid stringent measures put in place by the Pakistan Government to thwart the protest march on Sunday (November 24, 2024), jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party is preparing to proceed with its highly anticipated march towards Islamabad.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has called on the public to join the march to “break the shackles of slavery.” The federal government has taken several steps to block the protest, including deploying heavy security forces, sealing key roads, and setting up barriers around the capital.

The Interior Ministry has emphasised that, in accordance with court orders, no protests or sit-ins will be allowed in Islamabad, and any attempts to disrupt public order will be met with legal action.

Khan, in a statement, urged the masses to unite for the protest, calling it a movement for freedom and justice.

The PTI leaders, earlier on Sunday (Nov. 24), held a high-level meeting at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s House to finalise the strategy for the planned protest, Geo News reported.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has said that he will arrive in Swabi at 3 p.m. to oversee the preparations for the planned protest and lead the party’s march to Islamabad, the report added.

The Chief Minister also directed the party’s activists intending to attend the march to reach Swabi by 3 p.m.

Ignoring calls by the government to postpone the protest – the second one in as many months – Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) declared to go ahead with its planned march to Islamabad coinciding with the arrival of a large Belarusian delegation even as the authorities issued a warning of a potential threat during the protest.

The PTI gave a call last week for a long march to Islamabad to press for three demands: the release of the incarcerated party founder and other leaders, against the alleged “stolen mandate” during February 8 elections and restoration of the judiciary by revoking the recent 26th amendment to the Constitution that granted legislators more power in appointing top judges.

Meanwhile, Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, has opted not to participate in the protest but will oversee the convoys from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s House.

In preparation for the protest, Islamabad’s federal government has fortified security measures, sealing off several key roads and blocking routes leading to the Red Zone, where critical government buildings are located.

Containers have been placed across the city, including along the Srinagar Highway, GT Road, and the Expressway, limiting access to strategic areas like D-Chowk, Islamabad Airport, and the A-11 point at New Margalla Road.

Also read: Pakistan court gives 14-page questionnaire to Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi in Al-Qadir Trust case

Rangers, along with police and Frontier Constabulary (FC), have been deployed to monitor the area. The federal government has also warned against any unlawful protests, stating that no one will be permitted to hold a demonstration in violation of judicial orders, with legal action promised against any violators.

Also, Pakistan Railways has suspended all train services between Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar in light of the ongoing PTI protest, the Express Tribune reported.

According to railway authorities, services between Peshawar and Rawalpindi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, as well as between Multan and Faisalabad to Rawalpindi, have been halted immediately.

Additionally, all 25 train bookings for Sunday (Nov. 24) have been cancelled, and passengers will receive immediate refunds for their tickets.

The suspension of services and the cancellation of bookings have impacted daily commuters and travellers, as Pakistan Railways responds to the security situation surrounding the ongoing protests.

Section 144 – which prohibits gatherings of individuals – has been in effect in Islamabad since November 18. On the other hand, the Punjab government too has enforced Section 144 across the province from November 23 to November 25, banning protests, public gatherings, rallies, and sit-ins.

Despite the heightened security and restrictions, the PTI has remained persistent about proceeding with its protest march and subsequent sit-in to press for its demands.

Additionally, internet and mobile services have been partially suspended in Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab as a precaution.

Users in Islamabad are facing partial disruptions in internet services at various locations, while it remains unhindered in neighbouring Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, mobile services also remain fully operational in Rawalpindi.

Public transport, including metro bus services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, has been halted, and all bus terminals at Faizabad, linking the twin cities, have been barricaded.

Khan, 72, has been implicated in dozens of cases since his government was dismissed through a no-confidence motion in 2022. He has been in Adiala Jail at Rawalpindi since last year facing, according to his party, over 200 cases; got bail in some of them, convicted in some others, and hearings going on for some more.

Khan’s party won the largest number of seats in the February general elections despite contesting as independents as the party was denied an election symbol and the PTI chief has already alleged that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its coalition partners, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had “stolen the mandate” to grab power at the federal level.

Relations between the PTI and the PML-N-led coalition government already tense since Khan’s — ouster in 2022 — have strained even more in recent times.