ISLAMABAD — Authorities have deployed shipping containers to block main access routes into Islamabad ahead of a planned protest by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. The party plans to march on the capital on September 27 to demand the release of its founder, Imran Khan.

The security measures include more than 2,000 shipping containers placed around Islamabad and at Attock Bridge. Workers have welded shipping containers together and filled them with gravel and sand to create barriers. Sandbags have also been placed on bridges in Islamabad to restrict movement.

The Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway has been closed to all traffic until further notice. The Islamabad-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway and the Hazara Motorway have been closed. The Grand Trunk Road has been closed at several points. The motorway from Lahore to Islamabad remains open.

Public gatherings have been banned in Islamabad as part of the security preparations. Nearly 30,000 security personnel have been deployed in the Attock district. In the capital, 22,000 police and other security personnel have been deployed across Islamabad. An additional 19,000 police officers are being brought to Islamabad from Punjab and Sindh provinces.

To accommodate the influx of security forces, several schools and colleges in Islamabad have been ordered to shut down to house police personnel. The federal government approved the deployment of Rangers in Islamabad Capital Territory and several districts of Punjab ahead of the PTI’s planned September 27 march, according to a report from Dawn.

Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, will lead the September 27 march. Police expect the march to draw between 20,000 and 25,000 people. "I am certain they won’t be able to stop the public power of the masses when they come out on streets and take to Islamabad," Sohail Afridi said.

"I know they can go to any extent to stop us by brute force, we have no doubt about it," Afridi said. "But if we have a large number of people, they can’t open fire at us," he said.

Afridi criticized the government's response at a press conference. "The government is panicking – that’s why they have put Islamabad under siege, that’s why they are abducting our ministers," he said. He asserted that public support would overcome the barriers. "But Imran Khan is the most popular leader of the country and people will come out for him," he said.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi warned the party against proceeding with the march. "We have clearly told them that they can never achieve anything through such drama," Naqvi said in a public statement. He urged the leadership to reconsider their approach. "I will say again that there is still time; they should not go into this situation," he said.

Niaz Murtaza, a Pakistani political columnist, analyzed the government's stance in an interview. "Given the breadth of grievances in Pakistan at the moment – the performance of the government has been so poor on the economy and security while the repression is so high – that they are very nervous that the whole situation could combust very quickly," Murtaza said.

Khan has been in jail since August 2023. He faces corruption charges, though he denies all charges against him. All but one of the court rulings against Khan have been overturned or suspended on appeal. Khan alleges he is being imprisoned due to the political threat he poses to the ruling government and the military.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf alleges Khan is being held in solitary confinement. The party also alleges Khan has been denied adequate medical treatment and contact with his family or lawyers for months. Concerns about Khan's health, particularly his right eye, have prompted the party's campaign for his release.

In recent days, authorities have detained several party figures. Aleema Khan was arrested at her home in Lahore on Sunday. Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi were arrested in a predawn raid on their homes on Monday.

Khan's three sisters were arrested under a 1960 public order law. At least six Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf legislators in Islamabad have been detained. Dozens of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders and ministers have been detained or issued arrest warrants.

Jamaat-e-Islami began a march from Karachi to Islamabad to protest high fuel prices. This separate mobilization adds to the logistical challenges facing the capital.

Why It Matters

The Islamabad High Court has played a central role in shaping the legal boundaries of the protest. The Islamabad High Court ruled on September 18 that no party could block roads into the capital. The Islamabad High Court barred provincial governments from using state resources for the march. These rulings aim to prevent the disruption of public life and protect fundamental rights, including freedom of movement.

Historical precedents inform the current security posture. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) previously ruled in November 2024 that PTI's march violated the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, ordering an end to protests in Islamabad, but this directive was not enforced. On November 26, 2024, an anti-terror court ordered the blocking of passports for 24 PTI leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, in connection with the violent protest that occurred during a previous PTI march on Islamabad. The IHC’s 2026 ruling barred provincial governments from using state resources for PTI’s march, citing prior instances where Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s resources were allegedly misused during protests.

Timeline

Research titled "Khan, Imran, (Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi), (born 25 Oct. 1952), Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan, 1993; Founder, 1997, and Chairman, Pakistan Teehreek-e-Insaf Party; MP (PTI) Mainwali, Pakista" was published in 2007 in Who's Who. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party plans to march on Islamabad on September 27. Sohail Afridi will lead the September 27 march.

What's New

The Islamabad High Court reserved its decision on the petition against the PTI's planned long march on September 27 after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief gave assurances to the court that the protest would not involve any 'illegal or unconstitutional activities.' The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has previously ruled that no political party can block roads into Islamabad, as seen in its September 18, 2026 judgment, which explicitly prohibited provincial governments from using state resources for the PTI's planned September 27 march. The Islamabad High Court directed chief ministers to ensure provincial state machinery is not used for protests, while disposing of a petition against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned long march towards Islamabad on September 27. The Islamabad High Court ruled that no political party or public office holder could lawfully occupy public roads, highways, or other places within or leading to Islamabad, in a 37-page judgment issued on September 19, 2026, in response to the PTI's planned march.

The Islamabad High Court reserved judgment on a petition seeking to block the PTI’s planned long march and protest set for September 27 in the capital. The Islamabad High Court ruled that no party could block roads into the capital, and barred provincial governments from using state resources for the march on September 27.

How Sources Differ

Who's Who published research titled Khan, Imran, (Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi), (born 25 Oct. 1952), Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan, 1993; Founder, 1997, and Chairman, Pakistan Teehreek-e-Insaf Party; MP (PTI) Mainwali, Pakista in 2007. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf announcement states that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party plans to hold a nationwide demonstration to demand Imran Khan's release.