Punjab Home Department Requests Mobile, Internet Shutdown Ahead of PTI March

Sources reported on Wednesday that the Punjab Home Department has requested the federal government to suspend or downgrade mobile and internet services in designated areas from September 27 owing to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)'s anticipated long march. This protest is being organised to demand the release of detained PTI founder Imran Khan and advocate for the supremacy of the Constitution.

The Home Department's letter, according to sources, asked the federal administration to implement signal downgrades and service suspensions in selected parts of Attock and Rawalpindi. In Rawalpindi, localities specified include Brahma, Bahter, Taxila, Wah Sadar, and Chakri.

Earlier in the day, Punjab authorities requested the deployment of Rangers in four districts: Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, and Mianwali. The department asked for three Rangers companies in Rawalpindi, five wings in Attock, and one company each in Jhelum and Mianwali, as confirmed by a Home Department spokesperson.

The provincial government has also imposed Section 144 throughout Punjab until October 5, as per an official notification. This measure prohibits public gatherings of five or more people, rallies, processions, sit-ins, and demonstrations, as well as the display of weapons. Exemptions have been made for weddings, funerals, burials, mosques, and other worship sites.

Meanwhile, the federal government has increased security measures in Islamabad by sealing major highways with shipping containers and deploying tens of thousands of security personnel. Major routes to and from the capital have been closed, and additional deployments have been put in place in areas where demonstrations may occur.

In the lead-up to the march, authorities have detained three sisters of Imran Khan along with hundreds of PTI activists, citing public order concerns. PTI chairman Gohar Khan has stated that the protest will move forward despite blockades.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has cautioned that police are under instructions to respond forcefully if the march becomes violent. As security continues to tighten, public discontent with inflation and rising fuel costs has added to the political tensions.