Security forces are being mobilized in large numbers as the federal government prepares for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned protest march into Islamabad on September 27. Thousands of police personnel from Punjab and Sindh are being sent to the capital to support local law enforcement, according to police sources.
The PTI march is intended to press for the release of the party’s founder, Imran Khan, who remains in custody, and to reassert what the party calls the primacy of the Constitution.
Reinforcements Pour Into Islamabad
Police sources say around 1,950 officers and personnel from Sindh were expected to arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday night. Punjab is contributing a much larger contingent of 19,000 police personnel, who are scheduled to reach the capital over the following two days.
Officials had originally requested 23,000 personnel from Punjab alone. Sources confirmed that housing and logistical arrangements for police units from Sindh, Punjab, and the Frontier Corps have already been finalized. Separately, the Islamabad High Court has issued directions stating that public roads and essential facilities must not be blocked during the demonstration.
Six PTI Lawmakers Now in Custody
The security clampdown has coincided with a string of arrests. Islamabad Police detained MNA Adil Bazai, bringing the total number of PTI lawmakers held in the capital to six.
The other detained lawmakers are Senator Saifullah Niazi, MNAs Sanaullah Masti Khel, Mian Ahsan Jamal, Dawar Kundi, and Ghaus Muhammad. All were taken into custody under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance and moved to Jhelum Jail, according to reports.
Containers Deployed Across the Capital
Overnight, workers have been welding rows of shipping containers together at multiple points across Islamabad, part of a broader plan to restrict movement during the protest. Authorities had already begun positioning containers at major roads and key entry and exit points ahead of the September 27 mobilisation.
PTI Vows to Proceed With the Protest
Despite the buildup, PTI leadership insists the march will go ahead. Speaking to reporters in Peshawar on Monday, party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said PTI representatives have been engaging with federal officials and have raised concerns over the recent wave of arrests, urging authorities to refrain from further detentions that could escalate tensions.
Standing alongside Gohar and senior PTI figure Asad Qaiser, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi reaffirmed the party’s resolve to continue with the long march. “We are standing firm and we will conduct a long march. No one can strip us of our democratic right to protest,” he said.
Tensions have escalated further following the detention of Imran Khan’s sisters, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan, who were moved to Kot Lakhpat Jail for a 30-day period after their sister Aleema Khan was also detained. A legal challenge against Aleema’s detention has since been filed in the Lahore High Court.
Government Signals a Firmer Approach
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi indicated that the government intends to adopt a lasting strategy to prevent extended shutdowns caused by political demonstrations in the future. He warned that Islamabad would not be left paralyzed for weeks at a time due to protests and said authorities would enforce the Islamabad High Court’s directives if the PTI march proceeds as planned.
Officials maintain that the current measures are meant to preserve public order and prevent disruption to daily life, while PTI has pushed back against what it views as excessive arrests and restrictions ahead of its demonstration.
Opposition Calls for Dialogue
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas argued that dialogue remains the only realistic path out of the ongoing political standoff. He called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to establish a joint committee involving political leaders from both sides, stressing that any negotiations must include representatives empowered to make binding decisions. He added that the opposition remains open to talks.
Separately, the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) criticized Aleema Khan’s arrest, arguing that Imran Khan’s imprisonment was unjust and that targeting the women in his family amounted to political retaliation. The group also condemned the detention of lawmakers, party workers, and ordinary citizens, along with the use of containers to block highways, warning that such actions would only deepen the political crisis rather than resolve it.