Schools Closed in Islamabad, Rawalpindi Ahead of PTI Protest

The district administrations have announced that educational institutions in Islamabad and Rawalpindi will be closed tomorrow (Monday) due to the anticipated “do-or-die” protest called by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

According to a notification from the capital administration, this closure will affect all educational institutions within the federal capital.

This measure comes as PTI plans to stage a significant protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk. The protest will target the “illegal” incarceration of its founder, Imran Khan, other party leaders, and workers, the alleged stolen mandate in the February 8 general elections, and issues surrounding the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

Previously, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had instructed authorities not to permit any federal capital demonstrations violating the newly enacted peaceful assembly law.

The timing of the protests is critical, as they coincide with the Belarusian president’s scheduled visit from November 25 to 27, heightening the government’s concerns about maintaining law and order during this period.

In response, the Islamabad administration and the Punjab government have taken significant security measures. These include deploying hundreds of police, Rangers, and Frontier Constabulary personnel, sealing the city’s entry and exit points, and enforcing Section 144. Additionally, Punjab has imposed Section 144 across the province for three days, from November 23 to November 25, and has readied over 10,700 police personnel.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi noted that while mobile services are operational, the internet has been shut down in the federal capital, Karachi, Peshawar, and other cities. This disruption is part of the broader strategy to manage the protests, which have historically seen clashes between PTI workers and law enforcement agencies.