Pakistan Deploys Thousands of Police, Barricades Capital to Halt Khan's Party March

Pakistani authorities have implemented extensive security measures, including the deployment of tens of thousands of police and the erection of over 1,500 shipping container barricades, to prevent a nationwide demonstration. The march, organized by former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, aims to demand Khan's release from jail, where he has been held since 2023 on corruption charges.

Despite the government's efforts to block access to the capital, Islamabad, and the issuance of arrest warrants, PTI leaders have vowed to proceed with their protest. The lockdown has significantly disrupted movement into and out of the city, creating a "Tetris-like maze" for potential demonstrators. The heightened security response underscores the government's determination to quell the opposition's planned show of force.