Pakistan capital locked down to thwart a rally to support ex-leader Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Authorities suspended cellphone service and blocked key roads into Pakistan’s capital with shipping containers Friday to try to thwart a rally by tens of thousands of activists seeking the release of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Khan’s supporters were trying to march on Islamabad from the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where Khan’s party holds power, defying a ban on rallies imposed this week by the national government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Sharif’s interior minister said armed supporters of Khan were among activists trying to reach the capital and warned them to stop, and has said they would be shown “no leniency.” Police swung batons and used tear gas to prevent rallygoers from entering capital.

Sharif’s government also deployed paramilitary rangers and additional police and shut schools in Islamabad and the nearby city of Rawalpindi after Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party refused to withdraw its call for the protest.

Videos posted online showed police placing shipping containers on bridges and roads on a key highway near Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Officials said that the provincial government was trying to remove the blockades with heavy machinery.

The protest comes ahead of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Islamabad on Oct. 15, and Pakistani authorities announced they would deploy troops in the capital starting Saturday to secure the meeting. India’s foreign ministry confirmed Friday that its external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, will attend.

On Friday, police reportedly arrested some of Khan’s party supporters from Islamabad, including two of his sisters.

Khan, Sharif’s main political rival, has been in prison for more than a year in connection with more than 150 criminal cases. He remains a popular figure despite the cases, which critics and his party say are politically motivated. He was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament and arrested in 2023 after a court handed him a 3-year jail sentence in a graft case.

Sharif came into power after the Feb. 8 vote which Khan says was rigged.

The suspension of cellphone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Friday disrupted communications and affected basic services such as online banking, ride and food delivery services. Many people faced difficulties traveling because of the obstacles placed on the roads.

On Thursday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told Khan’s party to cancel the planned protest and warned that there would be “no leniency” if the ban on protests is defied.

He told reporters in Islamabad Friday that armed supporters of Khan were marching on Islamabad. “They should think what they are going to do with Pakistan by marching on Islamabad with weapons,” he said. “I am very clear that they are going launch an assault on Islamabad,” Naqvi said.

He said the government would not allow anyone to cause damage in the country. Khan’s spokesman, Zulfiqar Bukhari, rejected the government’s demand to withdraw the call for the protest, saying it was their constitutional right to hold a peaceful rally.

A message on Khan’s social media account urged supporters to join the protest. “The tyrants in power want to terrorize us,” it said. “So go forth fearlessly, and remember if you still hesitate, to step forward and truly liberate yourself.”

Sharif’s government says Khan’s party wants to weaken the country’s economy by staging violent protests despite the threat posed by the Pakistani Taliban, who have stepped up attacks in recent years.

Pakistan, which recently received a $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, has been struggling to overcome an economic crisis.

On Friday, supporters of Khan gathered in Swabi, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, to begin a march toward Islamabad.

Security personnel detain supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Security personnel detain supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers fire tear gas to disperse the supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Security personnel detain supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers fire tear gas to disperse the supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Security personnel detain supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers fire tear gas to disperse the supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Security personnel detain supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers fire tear gas to disperse the supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Security personnel detain supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chant slogans asking for the release of Imran Khan during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers fire tear gas to disperse the supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Security personnel detain supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers fire tear gas to disperse the supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers fire tear gas to disperse the supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chant slogans and ask for the release of Imran Khan during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Security personnel detain supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers assemble next to shipping containers placed by authorities to block a road leading to important government buildings in an attempt to prevent supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally seeking his release in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Shipping containers placed by authorities block a key highway to capital city in an attempt to prevent supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally seeking his release in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers assemble next to shipping containers placed by authorities to block a road leading to important government buildings in an attempt to prevent supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally seeking his release in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Shipping containers placed by authorities block a key highway to capital city in an attempt to prevent supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally seeking his release in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Shipping containers placed by authorities block a key highway to capital city in an attempt to prevent supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally seeking his release in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers assemble next to shipping containers placed by authorities to block a road leading to important government buildings in an attempt to prevent supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally seeking his release in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers assemble next to shipping containers placed by authorities to block a road leading to important government buildings in an attempt to prevent supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally seeking his release in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Police officers assemble next to shipping containers placed by authorities to block a road leading to important government buildings in an attempt to prevent supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally seeking his release in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.(AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Shipping containers placed by authorities block a key highway to capital city in an attempt to prevent supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding a rally seeking his release in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route.

In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It's a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it's resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.

Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.

“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.

Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city's mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.

At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.

“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”

Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.

Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.

This is Pannakara's first trek in the U.S., but he's walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.

Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.

“I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.

The monk's feet are now heavily bandaged because he's stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.

Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.

“In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”

In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.

He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.

“Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”

After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.

“There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.

Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.

“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.

But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.

The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.

Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don't aim to convert people to Buddhism.

Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.

“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”

On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.

“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”

Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.

“Today is my peaceful day.”

Freelance photojournalist Allison Joyce contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," get lunch Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Aloka rests with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

A sign is seen greeting the Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Supporters pray with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Supporters watch Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

A Buddhist monk ties a prayer bracelet around the wrist of Josey Lee, 2-months-old, during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara leads other buddhist monks in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Audrie Pearce greets Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," arrive in Saluda, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," are seen with their dog, Aloka, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)