Internet disruptions, chaos reported across Pakistan as Imran Khan’s PTI begins march towards Islamabad

Islamabad: Internet disruptions were reported across Pakistan Wednesday evening as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers staged protests in several cities and marched towards Islamabad.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), however, has denied shutting down the coverage nationwide, adding that the authority will disconnect the service in those areas where demonstrations were being staged, Samaa TV reported.

The PTA later issued a statement saying that it had shut down internet service in several Pak Punjab cities at the request of the government, Samaa TV said.

Internet service has been suspended in Attock and Gujrat where clashes between police and PTI workers have been reported, the PTA said.

After several hours of political drama and chaos across Pakistan in the wake of PTI’s much-anticipated “Azadi March”, PTI’s convoy, headed by party chairman Imran Khan, entered Pak Punjab from Attock after protesters removed barricades placed by the Pak Punjab government at the Attock bridge to stop marchers from entering the province, Geo News reported.

Political tensions are at an all-time high in Pakistan with all eyes on Islamabad as the city braced itself for the arrival of PTI workers and leaders heading towards the federal capital for the party’s “Azadi March” despite the government’s instructions not to.

So far, the day has been filled with political drama. Lahore turned into a battleground as multiple scuffles took place between the police and PTI marchers as the latter tried to wriggle out of the barricades placed in their way.

The police have been trying to stop the convoys at zero point. Despite the firing of shelling and teargas, many workers continued to move forward, Geo News reported.

Earlier, the federal government and PTI have both refuted claims of striking an agreement.

Following the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the two sides engaged in dialogue; however, no breakthrough was reported between the two. According to Geo News, the talks between the government and PTI continued for two-and-half hours.

However, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb denied reports of an agreement between the federal government and the PTI. She said that the news of negotiations and an agreement were “baseless”.

IANS