INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Authorities in Pakistan sealed off the capital, Islamabad, and blocked cellphone 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 agitate against the ruling coalition government, which the party calls illegitimate, saying it was formed
after a fraudulent election, Reuters reported.Shipping containers have been placed to block Islamabad&s entry and exit points, guarded by
large numbers of police and paramilitary troops, the officials said, while police banned any gathering in the capital.&If someone plans to
storm Islamabad, we wouldn&t let that happen,& Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told a news conference late on Thursday.He urged Khan&s party
to shift the rally to later dates, to avoid disrupting Islamabad&s preparations to host a meeting of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation
16.Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is visiting, to be followed by a high-profile Saudi delegation and Chinese Premier Li Qiang ahead
of the conference, Naqvi said, adding, &We can&t allow any chaos.&Any agitation in the capital would not send a good signal to the world
ahead of the conference, Naqvi said.Disregarding the appeal, Khan asked his supporters to gather outside parliament regardless of
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 outside
&This war has entered a decisive phase.&Even though Khan has been in jail since Aug 2023, candidates backed by him won the most seats in
February&s general election, though their numbers were insufficient to form a government.His opponents, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif, formed a coalition government instead.In a statement on Friday, Islamabad police warned they would take action against anyone
attempting to disturb the peace in the capital, adding that any gathering had been banned.Schools were shut and cellphone services suspended
in Islamabad and the adjacent garrison city of Rawalpindi.A telecoms official said cellphone services were blocked on directions from the
A ministry spokesman did not respond to a request for a comment.The post Pakistan seals off capital, blocks cellphones ahead of protest by
Imran Khan&s party first appeared on Ariana News.
