Activists of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of former prime minister Imran Khan take part in a public rally on the outskirts of Lahore recently. — AFP ISLAMABAD, Oct 04 (Reuters): 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.
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 (SCO) on Oct. 15 and Oct. 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."
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