PTI Warns Of 'Civil War' As Pakistan Hospitals Prepare For 'Mass Casualty' Ahead Of Protest

Pakistan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will go ahead with its September 27 protest demanding the release of jailed founder Imran Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Monday, as Islamabad rolls out an extraordinary security operation and hospitals prepare for a possible 'mass casualty' situation.

Afridi said PTI would announce its detailed protest plan on September 25 and mobilise workers across Pakistan. Khan, 73, has been in jail since 2023 and is currently lodged at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

The announcement came amid a crackdown on PTI leaders and Khan’s family. Police detained Khan’s sisters Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance on Monday. Another sister, Aleema Khan, was detained a day earlier.

Afridi said PTI had pursued “all constitutional and democratic avenues” but was being prevented from meeting Khan despite court orders. He said the party would pursue its demands peacefully and workers would not carry weapons. However, he warned that any firing could trigger retaliation and alleged that the situation was pushing Pakistan towards 'civil war'.

And Islamabad is preparing as though a fortress needs to be built around the capital. Authorities have begun placing huge shipping containers and barricades at key entry and exit points, with more than 1,000 containers reportedly requisitioned for the operation. The barriers are not exactly the sort of modest roadblocks that people can simply step around. They are being stacked and positioned to seal off major routes into the city.

According to Independent Urdu, around 23,500 security personnel are planned for deployment in Islamabad. Thirty entry points across Islamabad and Rawalpindi could be closed, while the Red Zone and High-Security Zone will receive a special security cordon. Rawalpindi Police have sought another 9,000 personnel, while more than 30,000 security personnel are reportedly being deployed in Attock.

The security buildup has spilled into everyday life. 54 government schools and educational institutions are being used to accommodate additional police personnel, alongside colleges, sports complexes, marriage halls and other government facilities.

Major Islamabad hospitals have also been placed on high alert. Blood banks have reportedly been asked to maintain at least 100 blood bags, ambulances and drivers are to remain on standby, and emergency departments have been directed to reserve 20 beds. Hospitals have been told to maintain adequate medicines, oxygen and medical supplies until September 30 or further orders.

PTI has also alleged that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister Fazal Shakoor Khan was kidnapped at gunpoint ahead of the protest. The allegation has not been independently established.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar said the party was not planning to “storm” Islamabad or come to the capital “like terrorists”. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, however, warned that the government would not allow the protest to shut down Islamabad.