A demonstration in support of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan in Pakistan has been delayed by a week, organisers said, citing an effort to wear down the government.
Authorities in Islamabad have blocked main access routes to the capital with double-stacked shipping containers in preparation for the protest set for Sunday, obstructing traffic and public transit.
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“Postponing the protest is part of our strategy. We have to wear down the federal government,” said Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is ruled by Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The march from Peshawar to Islamabad is now set to start on October 4, he added in comments late Friday.
Police deployed 22,000 security personnel to lock down Islamabad, officials told AFP, barring entry and exit to neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Key highways, entry points, and major intersections were obstructed, completely severing transport links and bringing movement to a virtual standstill.
The government’s preemptive crackdown ahead of the planned protest expanded earlier this week with the detention of Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan, and Noreen Niazi.
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Khan, a 73-year-old former cricket star, has been behind bars since August 2023 and faces scores of charges ranging from corruption to treason and inciting violence following widespread anti-establishment riots in May 2023.
He and his legal team reject the allegations, branding them as politically motivated cases aimed at neutralising his popularity.
