Daily wagers, commuters suffer as PTI protest triggers Islamabad security lockdown

• Major roads, motorways blocked in major cities during PTI protest.
• Travellers find no route to airports, railway stations amid lockdowns.
• Mobile phone, internet disruptions reported in federal capital.

Islamabad was put under a security lockdown on Sunday ahead of protests by supporters of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan calling for his release, caused trouble to many citizens as almost all entrance and exit routes in the federal capital were blocked.

The blockade of arterial roads and disruption of mobile and internet services brought unwanted consequences for daily wage labourers including those who run online taxis in the federal capital.

The residents of Islamabad lamented the road closures, as they faced difficulties in reaching the desired destination particularly hospitals for medical emergency. 

Highways leading to Islamabad have been blocked in a bid to stop the PTI protesters from entering the federal capital.

Most major roads of the city have also been blocked by the government with shipping containers and large contingents of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in riot gear.

Gatherings of any sort have been banned under legal provisions, the Islamabad police said in a statement.

Global internet watchdog NetBlocks said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that live metrics showed WhatsApp messaging services had been restricted ahead of the protests.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, is expected to lead the largest convoy into Islamabad, calling on people to gather near the entrance of the city's red zone, known as "D Chowk".

Islamabad's red zone houses the country's parliament building, important government installations, as well as embassies and foreign institutions' offices.

"Imran Khan has called on us to remain there till all our demands are met," he said in a video message on Saturday.

The PTI's demands include the release of all its leaders, including Khan, revoke the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment and return of the "stolen" mandate in the February 8 election.  

Khan has been in jail since August last year and, since being voted out of power by parliament in 2022, faces a number of charges ranging from corruption to instigation of violence.

He and his party deny all the charges.

"These constant protests are destroying the economy and creating instability ... we want the political leadership to sit together and resolve these matters," Muhammad Asif, 35, a resident of Islamabad said in front of a closed market.

The last protest in Islamabad by PTI in early October turned violent with one policeman killed, dozens of security personnel injured and protesters arrested. Both sides accused the other of instigating the clashes.

Similarly, citizens of Lahore — the provincial capital of Punjab — faced the same restrictions as strict security measures were taken in view of the former ruling party's protests.

An Islamabad-based health journalist, Muhammad Waqar Bhatti, shared videos of a major road blocked by heavy shipping containers.

He said that several roads were closed for traffic, including Margalla Avenue connecting GT Road to Islamabad, GT Road leading to Rawalpindi and GT Road to Taxila.

Bhatti expressed fears that any cardiac or stroke patients may lose his life as all roads leading to health facilities were closed.

An X user, MZR (@MZRAWAZ), shared a photo showing him sitting in a car while trying to take his ailing father to a hospital.

He wrote: “I know how I managed to take my father to hospital today. He was on emergency Oxygen already. I don’t know how many like me were in such troubles.”

All major roads, including the motorway, enabling access to the provincial capital were closed to traffic, bringing difficulties for daily wagers, online transporters, as well as tourists.

A woman told Geo News that he arrived in Lahore for a tour, but she found nowhere to go as all markets and key destinations were closed. 

Another man said he was worried about finding a route to the airport after witnessing road blockades in Lahore.

A large number of citizens, who wanted to travel to other cities from Lahore, headed towards the railway station due to the closure of bus terminals, Geo News reported.

However, the schedule of trains has also been disrupted due to the protests. Many travellers complained that they got no confirmation from the officials regarding the exact departure time.

It is pertinent to mention here that public gatherings have been banned in Islamabad for two more months and in Rawalpindi till November 26. Similar restrictions were announced in Punjab for three days starting from Saturday under Section 144.

— With additional input from Reuters