Fitna al-Khawarij can target PTI Islamabad protest: Nacta

The National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has issued a terror alert ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest scheduled for November 24, warning of potential threats from Fitnah-ul-Khawarij terrorist groups.

According to NACTA, these groups have crossed the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and entered Pakistan on the night of November 19 and 20. The authority has advised all federal and provincial agencies to enhance security measures in light of the threats.

In preparation for the PTI protest, Islamabad authorities have imposed strict security protocols, including sealing routes leading to the capital's Red Zone.

Rangers have been deployed at key government buildings, while heavy contingents of police, the Frontier Corps (FC), and Rangers have been stationed at D-Chowk, where containers have been placed to block access. Several major roads, including Srinagar Highway at Zero Point, GT Road at T-Cross, and the Expressway at Khanna Pul, have been barricaded with containers.

Additionally, roads leading to Islamabad from Rawalpindi have been closed, including the Faizabad route and the GT Road at Taxila.

The Motorways M-1 and M-2 have also been closed to traffic, allowing only vehicles to exit. Public transport services, including the metro bus between IJP Road and Pak Secretariat, have been suspended, while bus terminals at Faizabad have been sealed.

In light of the situation, the Allama Iqbal Open University has postponed exams scheduled for November 24. Hospitals, including Polyclinic Hospital, have been placed on high alert, with emergency staff on standby and all leaves canceled.

The government has also partially suspended internet and mobile services in Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab as a precautionary measure.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has activated a firewall to limit internet speeds and restrict social media access, but clarified that a nationwide shutdown has not been ordered.

Despite the disruptions, the Expressway has been reopened to facilitate local traffic, although the closure may be reinstated once protesters arrive in the capital.