Islamabad schools to remain closed today ahead of protests

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad district administration has announced the closure of public and private educational institutions and sealed the Red Zone ahead of protests in the federal capital on Thursday.

District Magistrate Islamabad issued a notification stating, “All public/private schools shall remain closed on August 22, 2024 (Thursday) within the revenue limits of Islamabad Capital Territory.”

“The decision was taken to ensure the safety of the students in the federal capital,” the interior ministry said.

The decision came after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced holding a power show in Islamabad’s Tarnol area today despite the cancellation of the non-objection certificate (NOC) and a protest call by a religious party over the proceedings of the Mubarak Sani case in the Supreme Court.

However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on early Thursday called off the public gathering and rescheduled it for September 8 on the directives of party founder Imran Khan. A party notification quoted Imran Khan as saying that the government wanted to spread chaos under the garb of the rally.

Yesterday, Islamabad Chief Commissioner denied permission to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) amid security concerns raised by the District Intelligence Committee.

Ahead of the rallies and protests, the Metro bus service in Rawalpindi and Islamabad will remain suspended and the security at the Metro bus stations has also been enhanced.

In a statement on Wednesday, PTI Islamabad President Amir Mughal said that the district administration had canceled the notification, but “we haven’t canceled the jalsa”. “A peaceful political struggle is our constitutional and legal right.”