Pakistan Detains Imran Khan Supporters Before Islamabad Rally

Thousands of supporters of Imran Khan have been detained by police as Pakistan’s capital remains under lockdown in advance of a rally demanding the release of the jailed former prime minister and resignation of the current government.

Shahid Nawaz, a security officer in eastern Punjab province, said on Monday that police have already detained more than 4,000 Khan supporters, including five parliamentarians.

In a news conference, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said authorities will arrest more Khan supporters if they reach Islamabad’s Red Zone, which has been sealed off to protect government buildings.

“Anyone reaching it will be arrested,” he said.

Naqvi said the security measures were in place to protect residents and property, blaming Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for inconveniencing people and businesses.

Earlier on Monday, hundreds of Khan’s supporters started their march to Islamabad, reaching the fringes of the capital, according to officials and his party.

Videos posted on social media showed allies of Khan, rallying the crowd and urging them to march ahead. Convoys of hundreds of cars were also seen.

In Peshawar, supporters of Khan were in a festive mood, with PTI workers dancing, drumming and holding up pictures of their leader as cars set off for Islamabad.

Authorities have sealed off Islamabad with shipping containers since Saturday and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces to prevent Khan’s supporters from reaching Islamabad.

The protest march, which Khan has described as the “final call”, is one of many his party has been holding to seek his release. The party’s last protests in Islamabad early in October had turned violent.

Communications Blackout

Earlier, on Sunday, Pakistan suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns”.

But Naqvi, the interior minister, denied suspending mobile phone services, saying only mobile data was affected.

Meanwhile, telecom company Nayatel sent out emails offering customers “a reliable landline service” as a workaround in the areas suffering suspended mobile phone service.

Khan’s supporters rely heavily on social media to rally support for his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events.

The government, however, is imposing social media bans and targeting virtual private network (VPN) services, according to internet advocacy group Netblocks.

Al Jazeera/Ejiofor Ezeifeoma