Pakistani police have detained more than 150 leaders and workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Rawalpindi division ahead of the party's planned long march to Islamabad on 27 September, with those arrested confined in various prisons under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, local media reported on Friday, 25 September. The sweeping pre-emptive action underscores the scale of the Pakistani state's effort to contain the PTI's mobilisation before what could be one of the largest opposition protests in recent years.

Scale of the Crackdown

According to reports citing sources, police have been authorised to detain a total of 463 PTI leaders and workers across Rawalpindi division, covering the districts of Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, and Murree. Door-to-door searches have reportedly been conducted across more than 2,000 homes and offices over the past 20 days. Authorities are also monitoring at least 91 members of the Insaf Student Federation and Insaf Lawyers Forum.

More than 10,600 police personnel are to be deployed in Rawalpindi to maintain order during the march, with additional contingents arriving from other districts of Pakistan to bolster local forces. Roads are being blocked and checkpoints erected across all five districts of the division.

Punjab's 13-Day Gathering Ban

The Punjab government has imposed a 13-day ban on public gatherings across the province, running from 23 September to 5 October, prohibiting assemblies of five or more people in any public space, street, road, highway, motorway, or open area, according to reports citing The Express Tribune. The official notification cited a 'serious and imminent threat to public peace, tranquillity, and the safety of life and property' posed by militant or terrorist groups as the basis for the restrictions.

The Punjab government has additionally sought the services of Pakistan Rangers for security assistance in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, and Mianwali, and has urged the Federal Ministry of Interior to downgrade mobile and internet services at selected locations in Rawalpindi and Attock from 27 September onwards.

Imran Khan's Sisters Detained, Court Declines Immediate Relief

In a parallel development, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday declined to immediately suspend detention orders issued against former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's sisters — Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi. The two women, along with a third sister Aleema Khan, were arrested following a 30-day detention order issued by the Lahore Deputy Commissioner under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance.

Lawyers representing the two women argued before the LHC that both are 'non-political' and had been detained without justification, noting that Uzma Khan had previously been acquitted in a case filed against her. The court issued notices to respondents and sought their response, stating it would review a report from relevant parties before ruling on the suspension request.

Context and Stakes

The PTI's long march is being organised primarily to demand the release of Imran Khan, who remains in custody. This is not the first time Pakistani authorities have moved to pre-empt a PTI march — a pattern of pre-march detentions, internet shutdowns, and road blockades has recurred across multiple PTI mobilisation attempts. The detention of Khan's sisters marks a notable escalation, drawing condemnation from PTI and raising questions internationally about the scope of the crackdown.

With the march scheduled for 27 September and legal challenges still pending before the LHC, the situation remains fluid and closely watched both domestically and abroad.