Pakistan's capital closed off due to announced protests
The Pakistani capital Islamabad has been extensively sealed off due to announced protests. Over 10,000 security forces and paramilitaries are supposed to suppress and guard the city's accesses, as a police spokesperson told the German Press Agency. Additional shipping containers are to block the streets.
Opposition parties, including the PTI party of detained ex-Premier Imran Khan, have called for demonstrations today against rising energy prices. In addition, the PTI demands Khan's release from prison. According to the police spokesperson, demonstrators are not allowed into the city, and arrests have already taken place.
Representatives of opposition parties declared at a press conference that hundreds of party members were arrested in nighttime raids following the announcement of the demonstrations.
In the past, Pakistan has seen angry protests against high electricity prices. The nuclear power has been in a severe economic crisis for several years. Prices for electricity, gas, and gasoline have significantly increased. Political instability and the flood disaster in the summer of 2022 have dealt further blows to the economy.
Despite the extensive security measures, protesters from various opposition parties, including the PTI, aim to rally in Pakistan's capital city today, citing their demands for reduced energy prices and Imran Khan's release from prison. Security forces have been deployed to prevent protests within the city, with reports of arrests of opposition party members during nighttime raids.
