Islamabad police arrested 412 people, including 60 Afghan nationals, ahead of a planned protest by Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Pakistani media reported on Friday.
According to The Express Tribune, those detained were found in the Bara Kahu, Tarnol, and Sangjani areas, reportedly carrying spiked batons, slingshots, and marbles.
The crackdown occurred as PTI, led by its founder Imran Khan, called for a protest in Islamabad’s D-Chowk on October 4.
However, Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s Interior Minister, urged PTI leaders to reconsider holding the protest, citing the presence of the Malaysian Prime Minister in Islamabad.
Islamabad authorities mobilized 4,000 police officers to manage the demonstration and prevent protesters from reaching D-Chowk. Security measures included deploying Rangers and the Frontier Corps in the area.
In neighboring Rawalpindi, Police Chief Khalid Hamdani assured that more than 4,000 officers were ready to maintain order. He stated that legal action would be taken against anyone who disrupted public order or damaged property, adding that surveillance cameras would be used to identify troublemakers.
Meanwhile, Barrister Saif, an advisor to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, said thousands of PTI supporters, led by senior minister Ali Amin Gandapur, would arrive at D-Chowk. Gandapur had earlier urged PTI supporters to prepare for the protest, describing it as a “battle for true freedom” and calling on participants to “break the chains of fear.”
