‘Source of anxiety’: Pakistan cracks down before march to free Imran Khan

Pakistani authorities have closed several major roads, including the motorway linking Islamabad to Peshawar, the highway to Dera Ismail Khan, the Hazara motorway, and the Grand Trunk Road at Attock, in anticipation of a march supporting Imran Khan. Police have fortified Islamabad by welding containers filled with gravel and sand to prevent movement, and ordered the closure of schools to house security forces. The PTI-organized march is expected to attract between 20,000 and 25,000 supporters, while other opposition parties have canceled or postponed their protests. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan remains at the center of escalating political tensions in Pakistan.