The Islamabad Red Zone has been completely sealed with containers as Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) prepares for a sit-in protest against rising inflation and electricity costs today. In addition, routes leading into the federal capital have been partially blocked, and heavy police contingents are stationed at all entry and exit points of the city.
The route connecting Faizabad to Murree Road has been closed off, and the road from the Expressway to Pir Wadhai has been partially restricted. Additionally, the area under the Faizabad flyover on the Expressway has been designated as partially off-limits to traffic.
Meanwhile, JI leaders and supporters are converging on Islamabad from various parts of the country. Groups from Lahore, led by JI South Lahore Naeb Ameer Ahmad Salman Baloch, are en route to the capital. The party claims that police have raided the homes of its leaders and workers across different cities to prevent them from participating in the protest.
JI alleges that police conduct has been inappropriate, particularly towards women, with reports of mistreatment. Secretary General Ameer-ul-Azeem confirmed that key party figures, including Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore Amir Ziauddin Ansari, have been targeted in these raids.
JI Chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has warned of repercussions if the party is obstructed from entering Islamabad. In a statement, Naeem reaffirmed the party’s commitment to peaceful political resistance. “We are not afraid of arrests, and Jamaat-e-Islami cannot be stopped,” he declared. “The historic sit-in on Friday will represent 250 million people of Pakistan, and we will peacefully gather at D-Chowk,” he added.
