Pakistan: Jamaat-e-Islami party plans fresh rallies in major cities as of Aug. 7 amid ongoing sit-in protests at Rawalpindi and Karachi /update 2

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party has announced further protests in major cities of Pakistan as of Aug. 7. Participants of an ongoing sit-in protest at Liaquat Bagh Park in Rawalpindi will reportedly shift to Rehmanabad on Aug. 8 after a march along Murree Road. Rallies will begin outside the chief minister's office in Lahore from 18:00 Aug. 11, and at Jinnah Park in Peshawar from Aug. 12; these may continue indefinitely. A nationwide shutdown strike is also planned after Independence Day on Aug. 14. The action is to denounce the effects of alleged misgovernance, including inflation and supply shortages affecting essential commodities like electricity. Ongoing indefinite protests involving a few thousand supporters are occurring at Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh Park since July 26 and the Sindh Governor House in Karachi from Aug. 3.

JI leaders have announced they will hold similar events near governor houses in other major cities like Multan and Quetta in the coming days. Protests may occur at alternative or additional venues if authorities deny permission. Popular gathering sites include major intersections along interprovincial or intercity highways, monuments, sports grounds, public squares, and government buildings. Thousands of attendees are likely at rallies. Protest plans may change at short notice due to several reasons, including official bans and/or security curbs preventing participants from reaching rally venues.

Authorities will almost certainly monitor protests and move to disperse overly disruptive crowds. Security checks and cordons are likely near key buildings such as diplomatic enclaves, legislative assembly buildings, and offices of governors and chief ministers. Clashes between police and activists are possible, mainly if demonstrators attempt to breach security cordons. The use of force, such as batons, tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and live ammunition, cannot be ruled out. Officials usually impose roadblocks and gathering bans to prevent planned rallies and may enforce localized movement and mobile internet curbs in case of significant violence.

Congestion due to protester caravans, roadblocks, and traffic restrictions are likely to affect access roads to the Islamabad Capital Territory, such as the Islamabad Toll Plaza along the M-2 motorway and Zero Point Interchange along the Srinagar Highway. Authorities in Karachi have closed the Aiwan-e-Sadar road as a precaution; similar transport disruptions and associated local business disruptions are likely in other cities during future protests. Ground shipping delays cannot be ruled out.