Hundreds of supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan gathered on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Monday, demanding his release and vowing to march to parliament for a sit-in protest. Authorities imposed a strict security lockdown, erecting barricades on highways to stop demonstrators, as Khan’s party reported clashes and unrest in other parts of the country.
However, in an update provided on Monday evening, PTI said the convoy entered Islamabad from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while it is expected to arrive once other hurdles are cleared.
“Convoy from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa entered Islamabad limits! Convoys from all over Pakistan are reaching Islamabad. We will not stop till we reach Islamabad,” PTI said. “Where there are obstacles, as soon as they are removed, those caravans will again leave for Islamabad. These caravans will hit Islamabad like a tsunami wave every day. This will continue until we win the war for the Khan’s demands and true freedom. Hold on, we will survive. No and will stay still! party added.
Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, who is also part of the march, addressed the rally near Hazara Interchange, saying, “My brothers, we will not end this march until Imran is with us,” she said. “I will be there till my last breath, and you all have to support me. This is not just about my husband but about the country and its leader.
A procession led by KP Chief Minister Amin Ali Gandapur reached Islamabad late on Monday night.
Several PTI officials including Sanam Javed Khan, Babar Salim Swati, Faisal Javed and Omar Ayub Khan were also part of the demonstration.
Speaking to Dawn.com at Attock’s Burhan Interchange, PTI’s Shaukat Yousafzai confirmed the moving convoy, noting their slow progress due to size and obstacles. He claimed that the police retreated after seeing a “huge rally”. Yousafzai confirmed Gandapur’s intention to reach D-Chowk “peacefully but at any cost”. He added that the party would continue its protest until “innocent political prisoners”, including Khan, were released. Yousafzai criticized the government as incompetent, focusing only on “lathicharge the masses and block the roads”.
PTI’s Barrister Gohar also assured to continue the protest. “This is Khan sahib’s final call, there is no stopping this,” he said. Roads leading to Islamabad’s red zone except Margalla Road are blocked.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari questioned the effectiveness of the protest. “In this ‘Last Call.’ […] I don’t think there will be a bigger disappointment,” she remarked. Bukhari noted that approximately 80 arrests were made during Sunday’s protests in Punjab.
The protest, initially scheduled for November 24, was delayed. The Islamabad High Court declared the protests illegal and directed the government to maintain order, especially with the arrival of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Islamabad for a three-day visit. PTI leader Asad Qaiser said that the march would take a few days to reach Islamabad.
Police fired tear gas at protesters near Attock, who responded by pelting stones and setting toll booths and vans on fire. However, the PTI brought big industrial fans to counter the tear gas. Ikram Khattana, PTI’s social media head in KP, said six locally manufactured fans are part of the Peshawar fleet, as reported by Dawn.
The administration is adamant to prevent protesters from entering Islamabad. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced arrests for any attempted entry. Deputy PM Ishaq Dar called the protest a “premeditated conspiracy”, and its timing coincided with Lukashenko’s visit.
Additionally, provincial information minister Uzma Bukhari confirmed that authorities had detained around 80 of Khan’s followers, saying, “We will not let them storm the capital.”
The demonstration, which Khan called a “final call”, represented one of numerous rallies organized by his party advocating his release from prison in August last year. His previous demonstration in Islamabad in early October resulted in unrest.
Khan, who was ousted from power in a parliamentary vote in 2022 following a disagreement with Pakistan’s influential military establishment, faces various charges, including corruption and incitement to violence, all of which he and his party consistently deny.