Pakistan seals off capital, blocks cellphones ahead of Imran Khan's party protests

By Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistani authorities sealed off the capital Islamabad and blocked mobile phone services on Friday to prevent an anti-government rally by supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, officials said.

It would be the latest in a series of protest rallies since last month to press for Khan's release and to protest the ruling coalition government, which the party calls illegitimate, saying it was formed after fraudulent elections.

Shipping containers were placed to block entry and exit points into Islamabad, guarded by large numbers of police and paramilitary troops, officials said, while police banned all gatherings in the capital.

“If anyone is planning to storm Islamabad, we will not allow that to happen,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told a news conference late Thursday.

He urged Khan's party to postpone the gathering to later dates, to avoid disrupting Islamabad's preparations to host a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on October 15-16.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is visiting, followed by a high-level Saudi delegation and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang before the conference, Naqvi said, adding: “We cannot allow any chaos.”

Any agitation in the capital would not send a good signal to the world ahead of the conference, Naqvi said.

Ignoring the call, Khan asked his supporters to gather outside Parliament, regardless of the obstacles.

“I want you all to reach D-Chowk today for a peaceful protest rally,” he posted on X on Friday, referring to a spot in front of Parliament. “This war has entered a decisive phase.”

Even though Khan has been in prison since August 2023, the candidates he supports won the most seats in February's general election, although their numbers were insufficient to form a government.

His opponents, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, formed a coalition government.

In a statement issued on Friday, Islamabad police warned that they would take action against anyone attempting to disturb public order in the capital, adding that all gatherings had been banned.

Schools were closed and mobile phone services suspended in Islamabad and the adjacent garrison town of Rawalpindi.

A telecommunications official said mobile phone services had been blocked on instructions from the Interior Ministry. A ministry spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.yahoo.com/news/pakistan-seals-off-capital-blocks-074513441.html The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos