Political friction has intensified in Pakistan as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) pushes forward with its long march toward Islamabad, demanding the release of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. In response to intelligence alerts regarding potential security risks at sensitive locations, authorities in Rawalpindi have placed security units on high alert and enforced Section 144 across the city for a period of 30 days. Under this restriction, gatherings of more than five individuals, political rallies, sit-ins, demonstrations, and unauthorized drone operations remain strictly prohibited through November 8, 2026, as administrative forces prepare for approaching demonstrators.
PTI Protest Procession Enters Seventh Day Under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Leadership
The anti-government protest entered its seventh consecutive day on Saturday after originating on October 4, 2026, in Lakki Marwat within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Led by the province's Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the procession features thousands of participants marching in organized stages toward the federal capital. Along with securing Imran Khan's release from prison, the party is demanding that immediate medical care be extended to him. Having already traveled through Karak, Kohat, and Peshawar, the demonstrators are congregating toward Swabi, where Chief Minister Sohail Afridi stated that the exact plan and route for entering Islamabad would be formally announced.
Sand-Filled Containers Block Highways as Security Forces Seal Capital Borders
The federal government headed by Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed its decision to prevent marchers from entering Islamabad. Security measures around key governmental districts have been reinforced with heavy deployments of police and paramilitary forces. Significant entry points leading into the capital, notably the Srinagar Highway and the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, have been blocked using large shipping containers packed with sand. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi warned that participants would face severe opposition and declared that demonstrators will not be allowed to cross Attock into Punjab province. Furthermore, telecommunications and mobile internet services were temporarily suspended in specific pockets of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab during the march.
Troop Deployment Under Article 245 and Surveillance Around Critical Sites
Heightened vigilance in Rawalpindi follows a prior federal authorization deploying three companies of the Pakistan Army under Article 245 of the country's constitution. That six-month deployment originally took effect on August 21, 2026. With Section 144 now in place, civil administration has barred public assemblies and political actions across the city. Security forces stationed at high alert have received strict orders to maintain special precautions around sensitive infrastructure and government installations to thwart unauthorized movement toward the federal capital.
