Police reinforcements also arrived to secure D-Chowk from PTI workers by midnight as Imran Khan headed towards the place. Not only the PTI workers and leaders were targeted but common citizens also came under attack as LEAs targeted anyone who came out. But defiant PTI workers were still able to stage protests by pulling away containers and crossing over blocked roads. Sanaullah said police had carried out a total of 4,417 swoops on PTI supporters’ homes, offices and on protest rallies and had arrested nearly 1,700 people. Sources have reported roadblocks in Faisalabad, Gujranwala and other cities in Punjab, with shelling on PTI supporters trying to cross these.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday urged the nation to reject the 'politics of sit-ins and immorality' which inflicted a huge loss to the economy in the past. It has been my conviction that Pakistan will progress only through sheer hard work. The premier, who reviewed the progress of the project, said it faced some delays due to Covid and other related issues. The premier also thanked President Xi Jinping, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and the chairman of Three Gorges, the company executing the project. On the occasion, Premier Shehbaz also called for emulating the Chinese model of development.

Pakistan strongly condemned life sentence awarded to Yasin Malik on fabricated charges, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The statement from the military s media wing came after an Indian court awarded life imprisonment to Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik. “Two life sentences and five punishments of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment each have been awarded. The ISPR in its latest Tweet said, “Pakistan strongly condemns life sentence awarded to Yasin Malik on fabricated charges. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari strongly condemned the “unjust” sentencing of Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik in a “sham” trial.

A large number of party workers and supporters were present at Islamabad toll plaza to welcome their leader. PTI workers also allegedly set fire to trees and green belt in Blue Area of the federal capital. Clashes at Karachi's Numaish ChowrangiSindh Police and PTI workers clashed at Karachi's busy intersection Numaish Chowrangi. Trigger Warning: violence, arsonSindh Police and PTI workers clashed at Karachi's busy intersection Numaish Chowrangi. Weapons recovered by punjab Lahore police from vehicles of PTI Lahore office bearers Zubair Niazi and Bajash Niazi.

The clashes unfolded against a hazy backdrop of police-fired tear gas with PTI supporters and activists flexing their muscles in an unrelenting stare-down with the security personnel who resorted to firing teargas, baton-charging and detaining the marchers. However, the PTI chairman remained defiant and kept galvanising his supporters to not wilt under the crackdown. Later in the evening, in a video message tweeted by the PTI, Imran urged the nation to take to the streets wherever they were and said people heading to Islamabad must reach D-Chowk. The minister said that the recovery of weapons from the residence of PTI activists was not jihad, but ‘fasaad’ (anarchy). Law enforcers resorted to tear gas after PTI supporters tried to remove the containers placed on the routes exiting Lahore.

Plain-clothed masked men along with Punjab police were spotted hitting vehicles part of PTI’s long march with sticks in Lahore as former minister Farrukh Habib blamed that they were goons sent by Rana Sanaullah who were acting in collusion with police to stop the marchers. According to details, at least two people were spotted on camera in Lahore hitting vehicles of PTI leaders including Yasmin Rashid and breaking their windows with sticks. Speaking over the matter, Farrukh Habib said that the goons of Rana Sanaullah are damaging the property of the general public along with the Punjab police. According to details, the Lahore police launched a crackdown on PTI workers marching towards Islamabad for the ‘Azadi March’ announced by former prime minister Imran Khan. A heavy police contingent was deployed at Lahore’s Bati Chowk and other areas of the metropolis where they stopped PTI marchers.

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Nation has completely rejected PTI’s so-called March: MarriyumMinister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb says nation has completely rejected today the so-called March of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and expressed full confidence in the government. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, she said that the nation witnessed huge unemployed and inflation during the tenure of Imran Khan as Prime Minister. She said the former Prime Minister leveled baseless corruption allegations but couldnot prove anyone of them. Talking about life imprisonment of Hurriyat Leader Yasin Malik announced by the India Court, she said the government and people of Pakistan strongly condemn the move. Marriyum Aurangzeb said that government will celebrate Yaume-e-Takbeer on 28th of this month with an enthusiasm and fervor and day of journey of development.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered the authorities concerned to publish a gazette asking 10 people, including former managing director of the then NRB Global Bank and Reliance Finance, Proshanta Kumar Halder alias PK Halder, to appear before it. Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayesh passed the order, fixing July 7 for submitting a report on executing the order in a case lodged over amassing illegal wealth and laundering the money abroad. The nine other accused are Lilaboti Halder, Purnima Rani Halder, Uttam Kumar Mistri, Amitabh Adhikari, Pritish Kumar Halder, Rajib Shom, Subrata Das, Anang Mohan Roy and Swapan Kumar Mistri. As the report was not filed on Wednesday, the court came up with the new order. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against PK Halder on January 8, 2020 for amassing illegal wealth of around Tk275 crore and laundering the money abroad.

“It is a test for everyone, including the police,” Imran told the party's youth wing in Peshawar on the eve of his ‘Azadi March’. Imran Khan announced that he would lead the youth and the rest of the party workers from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to Islamabad tomorrow. In a video message released from an undisclosed place, the former federal minister strongly condemned the illegal actions of the government and the use of police force against PTI workers and leaders. He asked his party workers to reach GT Road. Besides condemnations and approaching the court of law for the release of party workers, the PTI has issued a list of district lawyers’ teams along with their contact details and asked party workers to approach them in case of any difficulty.

According to two police officials, more than 200 supporters of PTI were arrested in overnight raids in Punjab. Sanaullah denounced PTI workers and leaders as “delinquents” out to set the stage for chaos and division in the nation. If they did not have any such purpose, they would have launched their long march from Islamabad instead of Peshawar. The federal government has sought assistance from contingents of the security personnel along with the complete command system from all provinces. Similarly, over 4,000 Rangers personnel will be in the federal capital and 15,000 tear gas shells have also been demanded from the provinces.

KARACHI – The Pakistan Meteorological department on Tuesday predicted very hot and dry weather in most parts of the Sindh province during the next 24 hours. The minimum and maximum temperatures predicted in Karachi 35-37 degrees Centigrade, Hyderabad 45-47 degrees Centigrade, Sukkur 45-47 degrees Centigrade, Thatta 38-40 degrees Centigrade, Mohenjo Daro 47-49 degrees Centigrade, Dadu 46-48 degrees Centigrade, Mithi 40-42 degrees Centigrade, and in Nawabshah 47-49 degrees Centigrade. Mostly, very hot and dry weather was likely to prevail in most parts of the province.

During the meeting of the federal cabinet held here, the prime minister was briefed on the issue of enforced disappearances. The cabinet committee would consist of cabinet members belonging to all the political parties. Moreover, a bill to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure 1860 had been tabled in the National Assembly which proposed strict punishment for the people involved in enforced disappearances. The prime minister said the enforced disappearances was a serious issue that led to the lawlessness. The federal cabinet endorsed the decision made by the cabinet committee on the legal reforms committee in its meetings held on May 19 and 25, 2022.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) urged the government on Tuesdsay to refrain from taking steps that were against the law and the Constitution, and allow everyone to profess their fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Constitution. The officials stated that the raids being conducted at the residence of any political worker or citizen were totally unwarranted, against the law and the Constitution. The SCBA particularly condemned the raids on the residences of lawyers as well as their arrests. It contended that the instant Constitution Petition had been filed for the protection of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan because the instant matter relates to the issue of public importance involving fundamental rights. The Constitution petition was filed under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution.

The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), a former ally of ousted premier Imran Khan during the 2014 sit-in, said on Tuesday that it would not take part in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long march against the federal government on May 25. Earlier, PTI Chairman and former premier Imran Khan announced that his party would kick off its much-hyped long march against the “imported government” to the federal capital on May 25. PAT still believes that holding elections without reforms would be meaningless,” the party spokesperson added. Siddique added that even in 2018, PAT had advised the PTI to conduct reforms before the elections. In this regard, the PAT spokesperson said that no party leader had supported the participation in PTI's anti-government protests.