‘Enough is enough’: Pakistan’s Islamabad on edge before PTI siege

Islamabad, Pakistan – For Mohammad Zaheer, a 14-year-old ninth-grader astatine a authorities schoolhouse successful Islamabad, the unexpected Monday vacation was a accidental to play cricket with his friends connected bare roads, escaped from the interest of vehicles disrupting their game.

His lone concern? Whether determination would beryllium different vacation connected Tuesday.

“I anticipation determination is, truthful our schoolhouse stays closed for different day, and I tin bent retired with my friends,” Zaheer cheerfully told Al Jazeera connected Monday morning.

Zaheer’s school, on with each different acquisition institutions successful Islamabad, was closed – not for a nationalist holiday, but owed to the anticipated accomplishment of thousands of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters for a large protestation successful the nationalist capital.

Thousands of PTI members and supporters had begun a march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – a state wherever the enactment is successful powerfulness – to Islamabad connected November 24, pledging to laic siege to the superior until their person and enactment founder, Imran Khan, is released from jail.

The protesters person reached adjacent to the bound of Islamabad, contempt facing obstacles and amid clashes with police. The convoy, led by Khan’s woman Bushra Bibi, is expected to get successful the superior aboriginal successful the evening connected Monday.

Khan, a erstwhile premier minister, has been imprisoned since August 2023 connected aggregate charges.

Despite his incarceration, Khan issued a “final call” connected November 14, urging supporters to instrumentality to the streets connected November 24 to protestation against the “stolen mandate” of this year’s elections, “unjust arrests” of PTI leaders and activists and against the passing of a caller arguable law amendment, which gave authorities oversight powers connected assignment of judges successful superior courts.

The PTI was barred by predetermination authorities from utilizing its enactment awesome successful the country’s February election, but its candidates – who stood arsenic independents – inactive won much seats than immoderate different party. The PTI nevertheless alleges that counting was manipulated and its candidates really won galore much seats. The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which finished 2nd and 3rd successful the election, formed a conjugation that present rules the country.

In effect to PTI calls for protests successful Islamabad successful caller months, the authorities has repeatedly imposed measures specified arsenic shutting down the city’s introduction and exit points and enforcing net blackouts.

“PTI protests harm the state and make important hardship for citizens,” Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said during a quality league connected November 24 astatine D-Chowk, the designated endpoint of the PTI march.

D-Chowk lies successful Islamabad’s “Red Zone”, an country lodging cardinal authorities institutions specified arsenic the presidency, premier minister’s office, nationalist assembly, ultimate court, and the diplomatic enclave.

The government’s determination to artifact introduction points from Friday nighttime onward severely disrupted regular commutes, portion businesses crossed the metropolis reported crisp declines successful activity.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said connected Sunday that absorption protests effect successful regular losses of 190 cardinal rupees ($684m), citing reduced taxation postulation and stalled concern operations.

Among those affected was Tahir Mehmood, a 38-year-old furnishings salesman astatine Abbas Market, astir a kilometre (half a mile) from D-Chowk.

“For 3 days, I person sat successful my store without a azygous customer. I can’t adjacent spell location due to the fact that the roads are blocked, and I’m acrophobic the constabulary mightiness mistake maine for a protester and apprehension me,” Mehmood told Al Jazeera.

“I’m not funny successful politics. It doesn’t substance to maine who’s successful power. All I attraction astir is earning for my household of six. Instead, I’m spending wealth connected energy and nutrient without making a azygous rupee. I haven’t adjacent seen my children for 3 days,” helium added.

These frustrations were echoed by Safdar Ali, a motorcycle rider for ride-hailing app Bykea, who recovered it intolerable to find enactment done his app owed to mobile net blackouts.

“I don’t cognize who to blame. The authorities says billions are being lost, and PTI claims they’re warring for their leader’s release. But we regular wage workers carnivore the existent cost. Who volition compensate us?” the 34-year-old lamented, adding helium was forced to enactment contempt moving a fever.

Children playing cricket successful Islamabad connected Monday greeting aft authorities ordered the closure of acquisition institutions. [Abid Hussain/Al Jazeera]

The city’s roads were blocked with ample shipping containers, barbed wire, and different barriers, forcing commuters to navigate an progressively inaccessible terrain.

On Monday morning, Islamabad’s usually bustling streets were quiet, with importantly reduced traffic. Many shops remained closed, portion those that stayed unfastened saw shopkeepers waiting idly for customers.

Daud Shafqat, a 23-year-old barber successful the upscale F-6 neighbourhood, said helium had spent astir of the past 2 days watching YouTube and TikTok, acknowledgment to the shop’s net connection. Broadband net is inactive up successful Islamabad.

“In 2 days, I’ve had lone 3 clients. The remainder of the time, I’m conscionable sitting outside. At slightest I person my telephone for entertainment,” helium said.

While Shafqat expressed admiration for Imran Khan and expressed his enactment for PTI, helium had nary plans to articulation the protest.

“I anticipation Khan is released soon, but attending protests is retired of the question for me. Honestly, it feels similar a discarded of time,” helium added.

For Jamal Abdullah, a shaper astatine a backstage amusement transmission successful Islamabad, getting to enactment was an ordeal. He yet reached his bureau aft 11am, 2 hours late.

“I unrecorded astir 20km away, and my commute usually takes little than fractional an hour. Today, I tried aggregate detours with my car, but each the roads were blocked. Eventually, I went backmost home, parked my car and had to prosecute a motorcycle to get to the office,” helium said.

Abdullah likened the recurring protests successful Islamabad to his years surviving successful Karachi, the country’s largest metropolis successful the confederate state of Sindh, which was erstwhile plagued by regular violence.

“When I moved to Islamabad 10 years ago, I thought it was the champion determination of my life. Now, my friends successful Karachi archer maine to travel back, and I wonderment if moving present was a mistake,” helium said.

Many shops successful the metropolis remained closed connected Monday aft PTI launched its protestation rally. [Abid Hussain/Al Jazeera]

At Aabpara Market, 1 of Islamabad’s oldest and busiest commercialized areas, the ambiance was likewise subdued. Usually packed with customers and vehicles, the marketplace connected Monday had bare parking spaces and idle shopkeepers.

“This is madness. Every month, there’s a protest, and thing changes. How agelong volition 1 enactment clasp the metropolis hostage?” said 51-year-old mobile store proprietor Rana Shafiq, visibly exasperated.

Shafiq said galore shopkeepers were aggravated astatine some PTI and the authorities for failing to resoluteness their differences.

“The 2 sides request to beryllium down and talk. Aabpara utilized to beryllium truthful engaged that you couldn’t find a parking spot. Now, we’re conscionable sitting present incurring losses. Enough is enough. They request to benignant this out,” helium said.