Roads blocked around capital ahead of planned PTI protest

Islamabad authorities cordoned off the city's main roads using shipping containers Thursday in advance of a weekend protest by supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, currently jailed. Police deployed 22,000 security personnel to block entry and exit points into Islamabad, including neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Khan's party holds power.

Major highways, intersections, and transport routes were completely obstructed, leaving vehicles stranded in traffic jams. AFP journalists witnessed the Islamabad-Peshawar highway's toll plaza cut off, with barriers and containers blocking the road. Local schoolteacher Nayhmat Khan expressed concern over the difficulty faced by ordinary people, especially those relying on daily wages amid high inflation.

Khan's sisters Aleema, Uzma, and Noreen were detained under Punjab's Maintenance of Public Order ordinance for allegedly mobilizing supporters via social media and inciting against state institutions. Dozens of PTI lawmakers, leaders, and activists were also arrested across Punjab and Islamabad. International human rights groups have condemned the government's preemptive crackdown, calling it a violation of fundamental freedoms.

PTI's Information Secretary, Sheikh Waqas Akram, confirmed nearly 1,500 party activists had been detained. Imran Khan, a former cricket star now in custody, faces multiple charges including corruption and treason. He maintains his innocence, accusing the military of orchestrating his removal and running a political persecution campaign.

The capital march aims to demand Khan's release, but the government denies the city is under lockdown.