• Activists clash with police in twin cities; Jinnah Avenue witnesses pitched battles as marchers attempt to reach protest venue
• Over 600 containers deployed at 27 points in capital; KP protesters overcome trenches, other roadblocks with heavy machinery
• Gandapur vows to reach D-Chowk, even if it takes several days; Imran’s sisters Aleema, Uzma among those taken into custody
• Military patrols deployed to ‘maintain law and order’

ISLAMABAD / RAWALPINDI / PESHAWAR: Hundreds of PTI activists, including senior leaders, gathered at multiple locations in the capital on Friday, defying heavy police blockades and road closures, while authorities dug trenches and placed iron nails on a stretch of the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway to prevent protesters from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from reaching the capital.

Despite the placing of hundreds of containers to secure entry points and key areas across the capital and the imposition of Section 144, demonstrators managed to converge at various sites, including the edge of the high-security Red Zone, at D-Chowk.

Police rounded up over 100 PTI members, including two sisters of party leader Imran Khan. Violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement officials were reported throughout the day, with several instances of stone-pelting and tear gas exchanges being witnessed.

Meanwhile, thousands of PTI activists and supporters, led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and accompanied by heavy machinery, marched towards Islamabad on Friday.

However, in an effort to prevent PTI supporters from KP from joining the Islamabad protests, authorities dug trenches and placed iron nails on a one-kilometre stretch of the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) near the Hazro interchange.

Containers were also placed at key points along the Rawalpindi-Peshawar GT Road — including the Attock Khurd bridge, Wah Garden bridge and Haro bridge near Hassanabdal — effectively halting movement along the route.

Clashes between police and PTI supporters were reported near the Burhan rest area, where law enforcers used tear gas to prevent protesters from advancing. Some 9,000 marchers were stuck at Burhan and had already removed 25 containers in an attempt to move forward, though several containers were still in place.

‘Reach D-Chowk at all costs’

KP government spokes­­person Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif condemned the federal and Punjab governments for allegedly using state machinery to indiscriminately fire at unarmed protesters and use of tear gas.

He also condemned the placement of spikes on the motorway near Swabi and accused PML-N of being afraid of peaceful protesters. He accused the federal government of deliberately trying to turn peaceful protests violent and slammed it for digging motorways and misusing state power.

The procession from KP started its journey from Peshawar, with PTI workers from adjacent districts gathering at the interchange of the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway. The procession’s size increased when the PTI marchers from other regions of the provinces joined it on different spots of the motorway.

Sources told Dawn that more than 40 Rescue 1122 vehicles, including ambulances, fire tenders, and heavy machinery, were also accompanying the procession. Additionally, about 120 rescue personnel were also travelling with the convoy.

Earlier, talking to media persons, Mr Gandapur said that the protesters would reach D-Chowk “at all costs”, insisting that they would enter the federal capital even if it took several days. “D-Chowk is our destination. We will not come back,” he said.

He further said that they would proceed towards Islamabad until any fresh directives were issued by incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.

But Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who visited D-Chowk with the Islamabad police chief and instructed personnel to maintain law and order, was adamant that no one would be allowed to damage public property.

“We have made arrangements for the security of our foreign guests. Apologies for the inconvenience to the citizens of Islamabad. Protesters should take stock of their senses. Visitors should feel that they are visiting a safe country,” he said in a statement issued by the state broadcaster PTV.

Blockade, clashes, arrests

In an unprecedented blockade, authorities deployed over 600 large containers across 27 key points in the capital — including Faizabad, Peshawar Mor and Zero Point — to prevent PTI protesters from reaching D-Chowk. Police officers told Dawn the containers were welded together in several areas to fortify the blockades.

Heavy contingents of police, aided by Frontier Constabulary and Rangers, were deployed at 48 different localities and points. The personnel were equipped with anti-riot gear, including tear gas shells, handcuffs and prison vehicles.

Despite these efforts, small groups of demonstrators managed to breach the barriers in the morning and engaged with police. As the day wore on, the size of the gatherings grew, with 300 to 400 protesters reaching China Chowk on Jinnah Avenue by late afternoon and removing containers to advance further into the city.

Police responded with heavy tear gas shelling, which also affected nearby medical facilities, causing distress to patients at Polyclinic Hospital.

Over three dozen protesters were taken into custody from the spot and shifted to different police installations. PTI leaders, along with several party workers, also reached Express Chowk, but they left from the spot before police officials moved to arrest them.

The clashes between PTI supporters and police intensified as the day progressed. Apart from Express Chowk, skirmishes broke out at several other locations, including Faizabad and parts of the Islamabad Expressway.

About 300 to 500 protesters gathered at the Expressway in the areas of Sohan and Faizabad and tried to move forward. They used stones and slingshots, while police retaliated with tear gas to disperse the crowds. Several law enforcement officers sustained injuries during the confrontations, and dozens of protesters were arrested.

Among those taken into custody were Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, who were apprehended near D-Chowk and moved to Secretariat Police Station before being transferred to another location.

The situation remained tense in these areas until late in the night.

Army deployed

In Rawalpindi, protests were largely contained, but clashes erupted in the Shamasabad area when PTI activists attempted to enter Islamabad. Security forces used tear gas to push back the demonstrators, who retaliated by throwing stones. The police arrested more than 10 protesters during these altercations, a senior police official confirmed.

Security across Rawalpindi remained tight throughout the day, with roads blocked at 35 key points and around 4,000 police officers deployed. Markets and schools were closed, and public transport was severely disrupted, leaving daily wage workers particularly affected.

Late on Friday night, military vehicles were also seen on the roads of Rawalpindi after it was announced that the military was being deployed to secure the capital from Oct 5 (today).

A statement issued on the X account of state broadcaster PTV said the army took over security duties in the federal capital. It said the army had begun patrols to protect the life and property of citizens and maintain law and order, adding that no one would be allowed to disturb the peace.

Meanwhile, in Jhelum and other areas surrounding Islamabad, roads remained blocked with containers, cutting off access to the capital. Police raids in Gujar Khan, Jhelum and other towns yielded minimal results, with only a few activists arrested over the past two days.

Amjad Iqbal in Taxila and Hamid Asghar in Gujar Khan also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2024