ISLAMABAD – According to Dunya News, authorities in Islamabad have cordoned off the Red Zone by erecting containers ahead of the Jamaat-i-Islami sit-in at D-Chowk and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest today (Friday).
The Jamaat-i-Islami is planning a sit-in at D-Chowk in Islamabad, while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has declared a nationwide protest against the recent increase in electricity prices and rising inflation in the country.
Key crossroads in the Red Zone, such as D Chowk, Nadra Chowk, and Sarina Chowk, have been shut with containers.
Section 144 in Punjab and Islamabad
Meanwhile, the federal and Punjab governments have imposed Section 144 in Punjab and Islamabad, in response to the PTI and JI’s plans for statewide rallies. According to the notification, Section 144 will be in effect from Friday, July 26 until Sunday, July 28.
The Home Department issued a notification prohibiting demonstrations, sit-ins, protests, and rallies from July 26 to 28. It stated that the decision was made in response to terrorist threats, and that public gatherings could be an easy target for militants.
In a statement, he stated that they believe in peaceful political protest to protect public rights. “We are not afraid of arrests, and the Jamaat-e-Islami cannot be stopped,” he told reporters.
“The historic sit-in on Friday, July 26, will represent 250 million people of Pakistan, and we will sit peacefully at D-Chowk.”
The JI stated that convoys from throughout the country are on their way to join the sit-in. He emphasized that speaking up for the country is their constitutional and democratic right, and encouraged the administration to provide a location for the protest.
He issued an invitation and “welcomed any political party that wishes to participate.”
Police raided the houses of JI leaders and officials in Punjab and Rawalpindi in the days leading up to the sit-in, arresting dozens.
The police stormed the home of Jamaat-e-Islami’s central secretary general, Ameerul Azim, but were unable to apprehend him. Instead, they arrested his driver, Shaukat Mahmood.
