Pakistani police arrest thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of rally in capital

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani police arrested thousands of Imran Khan’s supporters ahead of a rally in the capital demanding the former prime minister’s release from prison, a security official said on Sunday.

Khan has been behind bars for more than a year, and more than 150 criminal cases have been filed against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), says the cases are politically motivated.

Shahid Nawaz, a security officer in the eastern Punjab province, said police had arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters. These include five parliamentarians.

Pakistan has blockaded Islamabad with shipping containers and closed major roads and highways connecting the city to PTI strongholds in Punjab and the northwestern provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mutual shelling with tear gas was reported between police and PTI on the highway bordering Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan suspended mobile and internet services “in areas where there are security concerns.”

The government and the Ministry of Home Affairs posted an advertisement on social networking site X, which is banned in Pakistan. They did not specify the areas or say how long the suspension would last.

“Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as normal in the rest of the country,” the reports said.

Meanwhile, telecom company Nayatel has sent out emails offering customers “reliable landline connectivity” as a workaround in areas where mobile coverage is down.

Khan’s supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms such as WhatsApp to share information, including details of events.

PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi was heading to Islamabad as part of a convoy led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

“She cannot leave party workers alone,” Akram said.

There was a festive mood in Peshawar as PTI members danced, drummed and held photographs of Khan as the cars left for Islamabad.

The government is banning social media platforms and targeting VPN services, according to internet rights group Netblocks. On Sunday, the group said current metrics revealed problems with WhatsApp that are affecting media sharing within the app.

The US Embassy issued a safety alert for Americans in the capital, urging them to avoid large gatherings and warning that even “peaceful gatherings can turn violent.”

Last month, authorities suspended cell phone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to disrupt a rally in support of Khan. The closure has disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, taxis and food delivery.

The latest repressions occurred on the eve of the visit of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said authorities had sealed off Islamabad’s Red Zone, where key government buildings are located and a destination for Khan’s supporters.

“Anyone who gets his hands on him will be arrested,” Naqvi said at a press conference.

He said security measures had been taken to protect residents and property, accusing PTI of causing inconvenience to people and businesses.

He added that the protesters planned to take the same route as the Belarusian delegation, but the government prevented this scenario.

Naqvi denied that mobile phone services were suspended and said it only affected mobile data.

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Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar and Asim Tanveer in Multan contributed to this report.