Police shell PTI protesters at multiple locations, arrest dozens

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers attempted to reach D-Chowk from multiple directions by removing barriers, police responded with tear gas shelling to disperse them.

PTI supporters who made it to D-Chowk chanted slogans in defiance.

“Release Imran! Release Imran!” dozens of protesters chanted, holding pictures of Khan and PTI flags, less than a kilometre from the city’s red zone, which houses the country’s parliament and a fortified enclave of foreign embassies.

However, Khan asked his supporters to gather outside parliament regardless of the obstacles. “This war has entered a decisive phase,” he posted on X, according to Reuters.

In a statement issued Friday evening, Islamabad police announced to arrest 30 protesters.

Amidst the PTI protest, the Islamabad administration has switched off the lights at D-Chowk and the nearby Jinnah Avenue.

Containers were placed around D-Chowk a day earlier, and entry and exit points to Islamabad were sealed on Thursday night.

Heavy contingents of Islamabad police, Elite Force and Frontier Constabulary remain stationed at Jinnah Avenue and D-Chowk.

Meanwhile, clashes erupted as PTI workers hurled stones at the police near the Polyclinic, prompting further tear gas shelling by security forces.

Also read: Imran Khan’s sisters taken into custody by Islamabad police

Police also fired tear gas at protesters at Faizabad as they attempted to remove obstacles and containers to reach Islamabad’s D-Chowk, where the party has called a protest rally.

PTI workers and the security forces also clashed on the Islamabad Expressway as police resorted to tear gassing.

All roads to Islamabad have been closed at multiple locations, cutting off Rawalpindi from its twin city. Heavy police deployments have been made at key points.

Chairing Cross Chowk has been barricaded from both directions, while MH Chowk on Saddar Mall Road has also been closed. Hyder Road, Fleishman’s Hotel Road and Murree Road, Murrer Chowk, and Double Road Stadium have been sealed.

Old Airport Road from Kachheri to Koral, along with Sawan Bridge, remains open. Rawalpindi’s City Traffic Police advised citizens to be mindful of road conditions and avoid unnecessary travel.

According to police sources, motorcycle lanes on major highways connecting the twin cities remain open, but roads leading to the Red Zone and D-Chowk are fully closed.

Police stated that the only entry to the Red Zone is through Margalla Road.

All highways leading to Islamabad have been blocked with containers, including Faizabad, T-Chowk, Khanna Bridge, Sixth Road, Double Road, and Ninth Avenue.

Citizens faced severe difficulties due to the suspension of mobile phone services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Security forces are on high alert.

According to a spokesman for Islamabad Police, Section 144 has been imposed in the capital. Citizens have been urged not to engage in illegal activities, as legal action will be taken against those disrupting peace and order.

The spokesman also advised travelers to follow the traffic advisory amid road closures. Citizens can get the latest traffic updates from Islamabad Police FM 92.4 or by calling Pukar 15. For any emergencies, residents have been asked to dial 15.

A convoy of Khan’s supporters approaching the capital from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa also clashed with police, who fired teargas at them, Reuters said.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that if PTI caravans had entered Islamabad with permission, they would have been provided protocol in line with the constitution. However, under the current circumstances, they are forcibly entering the capital.

Speaking to journalists at D-Chowk on Friday, Naqvi said that the groups coming from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are “storming” Islamabad. He said that if Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had sought permission, holding a protest would have been his constitutional right.

“The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is first a Pakistani, then a member of a political party. He should reflect on his actions,” Naqvi said.

When asked how the government plans to handle the caravans led by Gandapur, Naqvi said, “You will see our strategy unfold. We cannot reveal it in advance.”

He further added that none of the police officers in Islamabad, except the Superintendent of Police has a gun

Section 144 Enforced in Four Punjab Cities

Meanwhile, Section 144 has been imposed in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Attock and Sargodha, while Rangers have been deployed in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Attock by the Punjab government.

All political gatherings, sit-ins, meetings, protests, and related activities have been banned.

Six companies of Rangers have been called to Rawalpindi and Attock for October 4 and 5, with 10 platoons of the Frontier Constabulary also deployed in Attock.

In Lahore, three companies of Rangers have been called for duty on October 5.

The Punjab government has imposed Section 144 in Rawalpindi, Attock, and Sargodha for three days, from Friday, October 4 to Sunday, October 6.

In Lahore, Section 144 is in effect from Thursday, October 3 to Tuesday, October 8.

Citing security risks, the Punjab Home Department has issued a warning that public gatherings could become soft targets for terrorists.

Orders have been issued to maintain law and order and protect lives and property. Notifications for the enforcement of Section 144 have been issued, and letters have been sent to the Federal Interior Ministry for the deployment of Rangers.