ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad police arrested Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, sisters of former prime minister Imran Khan from D-Chowk. Police continued arresting the PTI protesters from different points of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad were turned into a battlefield on Friday due to clash of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protestors with the police here.

Despite a massive lockdown of the federal capital with containers blocking more than two dozen locations, the PTI workers managed to break through several barriers and reach near Express Chowk on Friday night.

The clashes took place at different points including Shamsabad, Faizabad Interchange, Committee Chowk and 6th Road in Rawalpindi, and Sohan, Expressway, Jinnah Avenue, Blue Area and near D-Chowk in Islamabad. The worst shelling and clashes also took place at some other areas of ‘Red Zone’, which is a stone’s throw from the sensitive areas and other places including on IJ Principal Road and the Islamabad Expressway.

Police and other law-enforcement agencies also encircled Adiala jail Rawalpindi and Adiala Road to avoid any untoward incident.

Hundreds of PTI workers gathered at different points of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and tried to march towards D-Chowk, but they were intercepted by a contingent of police who fired teargas shelling to disperse them. When a large number of PTI workers attempted to enter Islamabad from the Faizabad side, Islamabad police deployed at the intersection resorted to heavy shelling, forcing the charged workers to retreat. The clash continued for several hours till filing of the report and protesters pelted police with stones and attacked them with sticks. Police retaliated with heavy shelling.

Rawalpindi and Islamabad police was advising common citizens on loudspeakers to go to their homes. Due to the PTI protest demonstration, Murree Road, Islamabad Expressway, IJP Road, GT Road and Motorway were closed at different points, which caused immense inconvenience to citizens including patients, motorists and travellers.

Several PTI workers and police officials were also injured during the clash with police. The protesters set fire to garbage dumps at different places to mitigate shelling effects. Traffic between twin cities remained disrupted for several hours due to protests as public transport vanished from roads, forcing commuters to walk for miles to reach their destinations. Due to closure of main highways in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, citizens faced severe problems.

All commercial centres, hotels and bus stands adjacent to Faizabad Interchange remained closed. Due to severe shelling at Faizabad, residents of nearby areas struggled to inhale fresh air as black and white smoke pervaded the area. Police stopped the PTI workers from marching on the red zone and pushed them back. Hide-and-seek between police and the PTI protesters continued till filing of the report.

Massive teargas was fired at different locations of Rawalpindi and Islamabad including 26 No. Chungi, Tarnol, China Chowk, Express Chowk, Faizabad, Swan and Shamsabad to disperse the agitators. Over 350 activists of PTI were arrested involved in pelting stones on police and damaged public and private properties, the Rawalpindi police sources said.

They were taken to an undisclosed location as police intensified their crackdown on demonstrators. Over 60 PTI workers, who made it to Express Chowk, were also arrested and shifted to local police stations. The protesters, led by PTI regional president Aamir Mughal, came prepared with masks to protect themselves from police’s response of tear-gas shelling.

The clashes also resulted in injuries to three police officers, including SP Ali Raza, who was injured by stone-throwing during a confrontation near Sohan on Islamabad Expressway. Despite escalating violence, Islamabad’s IG Ali Nasir Rizvi made rounds at various locations, including Express Chowk, instructing officers to peacefully disperse the protesters. The IG confirmed that over 30 demonstrators had been arrested so far.

The authorities imposed strict security measures across Islamabad and Rawalpindi, enforcing Section 144 in the twin cities. All roads leading to D-Chowk were sealed off with containers and barbed wire, while Islamabad Expressway was closed off entirely. Faizabad Bridge was fortified with double-layer containers to prevent the influx of protesters.

Mobile-phone services across Islamabad were suspended, and the Metro bus service was halted indefinitely. A ban on bike pillion-riding was imposed for two days. The blockades paralysed the city, with all schools closed and attendance at offices drastically reduced. Public and private sector employees were sent home after Friday prayers due to the ongoing unrest.

Road closures on GT Road, M1 and M2 Motorways prevented hundreds of PTI workers from entering the capital from other cities. Protesters, many of whom were young men, vowed to stay until their demonstration at D-Chowk was complete, as per the instructions of the PTI founder. So far, approximately 450 workers have been arrested since Thursday.

In Rawalpindi, similar security measures were in place, with authorities closing off all entry points to Islamabad using containers and other barricades. Major roads such as Murree Road near the Cricket Stadium, Charing Cross, and Peshawar Road were closed to all traffic. Marir Chowk and adjacent areas were also sealed.

Rangers have been called in to aid the police in maintaining order, with deployments across major cities, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

To curb communication during protest, mobile-phone services have been suspended in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and surrounding areas, including Gujjar Khan, Hasanabdal, Taxila, and Kallar Syedan. While mobile networks are down, broadband internet and landline services are still operational.

Meanwhile, brushing aside the heightened threat of arrest of PTI workers, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur Friday vowed to reach Islamabad’s D-Chowk for lodging protest at all costs.

Speaking to the media before his departure to Islamabad, he said workers would reach the location of protest despite all odds, adding that orders only from Imran Khan could end the protest. “I urge all workers to arrive at D-Chowk for real independence. We will continue to fight for protection of Constitution and continue to strive for restoration of Constitution,” he added.

On the other hand, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) accepted bail plea of KP CM in two cases till Oct 25. PHC Chief justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim heard the bail pleas of the KP CM and granted him bail while asking his counsel to appear before the relevant courts.