Pakistan protests block roads but fail to oust prime minister

ISLAMABAD: Thousands of anti-government protesters blocked highways across Pakistan on Thursday (Nov 14) in a bid to oust prime minister Imran Khan, though the disruption fell short of what organisers had planned.

The protests, led by Fazl-ur-Rehman, head of the conservative Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) party, began with the "Azadi" (freedom) March on Oct 27 from the southern city of Karachi.

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Thousands of supporters reached the capital Islamabad on Oct 31, holding a two-week sit-in on the city's main highway. Rehman ordered them to disperse across the country on Wednesday to cripple key roads, in what he called 'Plan B' to topple Khan over allegations of voter fraud and economic mismanagement – claims he denies.

On Thursday protesters blocked the Grand Trunk Road between Islamabad and Afghanistan's capital Kabul, causing lengthy delays, according to Reuters witnesses.

"Until our leaders announce otherwise we will remain here," said Mufti Owais Aziz, one of several hundred party activists blocking the highway.

Similar disruption was reported in Jacobabad, a city in Sindh linking the province with Balochistan and Punjab, a senior police officer told Reuters.

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But authorities were able to divert traffic in several affected areas and there were no reports of protesters occupying other routes like the Karakoram Highway to China, one of nearly a dozen targets announced by the party on Wednesday evening.

The government is confident it can weather the protests, the first such challenge to Khan's leadership since his election on a platform of anti-corruption and economic reform last year.

Fawad Chaudhury, a minister in Khan's cabinet, told a press conference on Thursday the Read More – Source