Due to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protests in Rawalpindi today, the administration has closed nearly all entry points to the city. In light of concerns over public order, additional police and Rangers have been deployed throughout the city.
The Rawalpindi administration placed containers across the city to block roads, particularly near Liaquat Bagh, to prevent the PTI protest. This has caused significant inconvenience for citizens.
To maintain law and order, Punjab Rangers personnel have been deployed alongside the police.
In addition, areas like Rehmanabad Chowk and Shamsabad have been sealed, and all roads leading to Adiala Jail are completely closed. Transport to the Adiala Jail village has also been halted.
Dama Dam Mast Qalandar is about to happen: Ali Amin Gandapur
Meanwhile, a convoy led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has entered Punjab from the Peshawar Motorway, heading towards the protest in Rawalpindi.
Addressing supporters, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said, "Dama Dam Mast Qalandar is about to happen. We will cross every hurdle and reach Rawalpindi. Watch what happens next. The Punjab government can do whatever it wants; we are not afraid and are ready to face everything."
The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is issuing threats
During a press conference in Lahore, Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bukhari stated that the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is issuing threats and is coming to Punjab with armed groups alongside the police.
She added, "These people have planned an attack and chaos in Rawalpindi today. They want dead bodies so they can politicize them, but we will teach them a lesson and not allow them to invade Punjab."
Barrister Gohar and Salman Akram Raja Arrested
Meanwhile, a video was posted on PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar's X account (formerly Twitter) claiming that both he and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja were arrested by the police.
PTI leader Sheikh Waqas Akram condemned the arrests and stated on X, "This fascist government is determined to destroy the peace of this country. Protesting is our constitutional right, and the government cannot take it away from us."
He also shared a video of former MPA Simabia Tahir's "illegal arrest."
To thwart the PTI protest, the Punjab government has banned all public gatherings in Rawalpindi and deployed paramilitary forces in the city.
Section 144 Imposed in the City
Initially, PTI had announced a rally at Liaquat Bagh, but it was later turned into a protest. PTI founder Imran Khan said the government was not allowing his party to hold the rally in the city.
In a video message yesterday, PTI Punjab President Hammad Azhar said the party would hold a "peaceful political public gathering" at 2 PM.
He urged party workers to arrive at the venue on time, as police had stopped the last party gathering in Lahore when it ran late.
A day before the protest, the deputy commissioners of Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal, and Attock districts requested the Punjab Home Department to ban all gatherings in the city.
The provincial government immediately accepted the request, imposing Section 144 in Rawalpindi and nearby districts.
Under this law, all gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, demonstrations, processions, and other activities, including the display of weapons, are banned.
All four deputy commissioners expressed concerns that miscreants could exploit the PTI protest for "anti-state activities."
Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Dr. Hassan Waqar Cheema said that his administration and local police were working in coordination to maintain law and order.
The local administration in Attock and Rawalpindi will be supported by six companies of the Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), deployed at the request of the respective deputy commissioners. Military units will remain in both districts until Sunday.
In a video message, PTI Lahore President Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood said that workers from the capital of Punjab would reach Liaquat Bagh for the judiciary's freedom movement.
Traders Worried
Expressing concerns about disruptions to business due to the protest, traders in Raja Bazaar and on Murree Road voiced their dissatisfaction with the planned activity.
Traders' Association President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha said the government should designate a separate place for protests because such activities disrupt business and road traffic.
He added that traders are already facing financial difficulties due to rising electricity and gas prices, and the city frequently experiences protests.
Earlier this year, Jamaat-e-Islami held a sit-in on Murree Road against high electricity prices, while teachers, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, and other religious groups have also held protests.
Two days ago, while speaking informally to journalists at Adiala Jail, Imran Khan announced that PTI would hold a protest instead of a rally on September 28 in Rawalpindi. He said that the party would withdraw its request to the court for a rally in the city.
"We know they won't allow a rally, and even if they do, it will be on the outskirts of the city," Imran Khan remarked.
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