Islamabad, Pakistan – For Mohammad Zaheer, a 14-year-old ninth-grader at a authorities college in Islamabad, the sudden Monday vacation was an opportunity to play cricket along with his mates on empty roads, free from the fear of automobiles disrupting their recreation.
His solely concern? Whether or not there could be one other vacation on Tuesday.
“I hope there may be, so our college stays closed for one more day, and I can hang around with my mates,” Zaheer cheerfully instructed Al Jazeera on Monday morning.
Zaheer’s college, together with all different academic establishments in Islamabad, was closed – not for a public vacation, however as a result of anticipated arrival of hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters for a serious protest within the nationwide capital.
1000’s of PTI members and supporters had begun a march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – a province the place the celebration is in energy – to Islamabad on November 24, pledging to put siege to the capital till their chief and celebration founder, Imran Khan, is launched from jail.
The protesters have reached near the boundary of Islamabad, regardless of going through obstacles and amid clashes with police. The convoy, led by Khan’s spouse Bushra Bibi, is anticipated to reach within the capital later within the night on Monday.
Khan, a former prime minister, has been imprisoned since August 2023 on a number of costs.
Regardless of his incarceration, Khan issued a “remaining name” on November 14, urging supporters to take to the streets on November 24 to protest in opposition to the “stolen mandate” of this yr’s elections, “unjust arrests” of PTI leaders and activists and in opposition to the passing of a current controversial constitutional modification, which gave authorities oversight powers on appointment of judges in superior courts.
The PTI was barred by election authorities from utilizing its celebration image within the nation’s February election, however its candidates – who stood as independents – nonetheless received extra seats than some other celebration. The PTI nevertheless alleges that counting was manipulated and its candidates truly received many extra seats. The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Pakistan Folks’s Get together (PPP), which completed second and third within the election, fashioned a coalition that now guidelines the nation.
In response to PTI requires protests in Islamabad in current months, the federal government has repeatedly imposed measures corresponding to shutting down town’s entry and exit factors and implementing web blackouts.
“PTI protests hurt the nation and create important hardship for residents,” Federal Inside Minister Mohsin Naqvi mentioned throughout a information convention on November 24 at D-Chowk, the designated endpoint of the PTI march.
D-Chowk lies in Islamabad’s “Purple Zone”, an space housing key authorities establishments such because the presidency, prime minister’s workplace, nationwide meeting, supreme courtroom, and the diplomatic enclave.
The federal government’s resolution to dam entry factors from Friday evening onward severely disrupted common commutes, whereas companies throughout town reported sharp declines in exercise.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb mentioned on Sunday that opposition protests lead to every day losses of 190 billion rupees ($684m), citing diminished tax assortment and stalled enterprise operations.
Amongst these affected was Tahir Mehmood, a 38-year-old furnishings salesman at Abbas Market, a couple of kilometre (half a mile) from D-Chowk.
“For 3 days, I’ve sat in my store and not using a single buyer. I can’t even go dwelling as a result of the roads are blocked, and I’m afraid the police would possibly mistake me for a protester and arrest me,” Mehmood instructed Al Jazeera.
“I’m not involved in politics. It doesn’t matter to me who’s in energy. All I care about is incomes for my household of six. As an alternative, I’m spending cash on electrical energy and meals with out making a single rupee. I haven’t even seen my youngsters for 3 days,” he added.
These frustrations have been echoed by Safdar Ali, a motorcycle rider for ride-hailing app Bykea, who discovered it not possible to seek out work by way of his app as a result of cellular web blackouts.
“I don’t know who in charge. The federal government says billions are being misplaced, and PTI claims they’re combating for his or her chief’s launch. However we every day wage employees bear the actual price. Who will compensate us?” the 34-year-old lamented, including he was compelled to work regardless of working a fever.
Town’s roads have been blocked with massive delivery containers, barbed wire, and different obstacles, forcing commuters to navigate an more and more inaccessible terrain.
On Monday morning, Islamabad’s often bustling streets have been quiet, with considerably diminished site visitors. Many outlets remained closed, whereas those who stayed open noticed shopkeepers ready idly for patrons.
Daud Shafqat, a 23-year-old barber within the upscale F-6 neighbourhood, mentioned he had spent a lot of the previous two days watching YouTube and TikTok, due to the store’s web connection. Broadband web remains to be up in Islamabad.
“In two days, I’ve had solely three shoppers. The remainder of the time, I’m simply sitting outdoors. Not less than I’ve my telephone for leisure,” he mentioned.
Whereas Shafqat expressed admiration for Imran Khan and expressed his assist for PTI, he had no plans to affix the protest.
“I hope Khan is launched quickly, however attending protests is out of the query for me. Truthfully, it appears like a waste of time,” he added.
For Jamal Abdullah, a producer at a non-public leisure channel in Islamabad, attending to work was an ordeal. He lastly reached his workplace after 11am, two hours late.
“I stay about 20km away, and my commute often takes lower than half an hour. Right this moment, I attempted a number of detours with my automobile, however all of the roads have been blocked. Ultimately, I went again dwelling, parked my automobile and needed to rent a motorcycle to get to the workplace,” he mentioned.
Abdullah likened the recurring protests in Islamabad to his years residing in Karachi, the nation’s largest metropolis within the southern province of Sindh, which was as soon as suffering from every day violence.
“Once I moved to Islamabad 10 years in the past, I believed it was the very best resolution of my life. Now, my mates in Karachi inform me to come back again, and I’m wondering if shifting right here was a mistake,” he mentioned.
At Aabpara Market, one in all Islamabad’s oldest and busiest industrial areas, the ambiance was equally subdued. Normally full of prospects and automobiles, the market on Monday had empty parking areas and idle shopkeepers.
“That is insanity. Each month, there’s a protest, and nothing adjustments. How lengthy will one celebration maintain town hostage?” mentioned 51-year-old cellular store proprietor Rana Shafiq, visibly exasperated.
Shafiq mentioned many shopkeepers have been offended at each PTI and the federal government for failing to resolve their variations.
“The 2 sides want to sit down down and discuss. Aabpara was once so busy that you simply couldn’t discover a parking spot. Now, we’re simply sitting right here incurring losses. Sufficient is sufficient. They should type this out,” he mentioned.
