Farhat Javed
BBC Urdu

Islamabad today feels like a fortress closed on all sides. There is a large security presence, and roads are blocked with containers.

On our way through the city this morning, we passed by many plain clothes women police officers. One was standing with her two-year-old child on one shoulder and her clothes and bag on the other.

When asked why she had brought her child along, she said there was no one to take care of the child. She had been told that her duty here would last four days.

"If there is shelling, I will take my child and run away," she said.

Elsewhere, a police official on duty said that he had made special arrangements to avoid the shelling: he brought salt, eye spray, rose water, towels, handkerchiefs, and a big bottle of water - all to defend himself against shelling.

Apart from the entrances and exits of the city, roads have been blocked in various places. The uncertainty this time is unprecedented.

The main convoy of protesters is expected to reach Islamabad this afternoon, an official of Khan's PTI party tells BBC Urdu.

The convoy, headed by Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of PTI stronghold Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, left their capital city, Peshawar, on Sunday afternoon.

Khan's wife Bushra Bibi is also in this convoy. PTI official Irfan Saleem says they might be able enter Islamabad by noon (07:00 GMT) if they don't face many obstacles on the way.

They have just crossed Haru Bridge and are moving towards an area with a heavy police presence.

Among the more notable figures taking part in the protests is Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan's third and current wife, and Pakistan's former first lady.

Known as Bushra Maneka before her marriage to Khan, Bibi was a faith healer and spiritual adviser when the two first met.

Khan would visit Bibi’s house for advice regarding Sufism, a religious tradition within Islam that emphasises the inner search for God and the renunciation of worldly matters, among other things.

The couple were both sentenced to jail in January and fined more than $2m each in a corruption case, after they were both convicted of illegally profiting from state gifts - including perfumes, dinner sets and diamond jewellery - while Khan was in office.

Bibi's precise role in the case is unclear - but the PTI's acting chairman and lawyer Gohar Ali Khan said it was another attempt to put pressure on the former prime minister.

"Bushra Bibi has no link to this case," he told a local television network, according to Reuters.

Bibi is seen in all public appearances wearing a niqab, a long garment worn by some Muslim women to cover their entire body and face, apart from their eyes. She is reportedly the first niqab-wearing spouse of a Pakistani Prime Minister.

Read more about her here.

Image source, Getty Images

While tensions grow in Islamabad, the city is also preparing to receive Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko today.

The visit, which is planned to last three days, comes after the two countries agreed in principle in September to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a trade roadmap for the next three years.

Belarusian ministers for energy, justice, transport, natural resources, and emergency situations, as well as the chairman of the Military Industry Committee, are among his delegation.

The state visit has been cited by Pakistani officials as one of the reasons they want protesters to disperse.

The Islamabad High Court, which ruled the protest to be unlawful on Thursday, mentioned the visit in the court order, stating that the protection and freedom of movement of the Belarusian delegation "are of utmost importance and directly involve relations with another country; hence, the larger public interest is involved".

Image source, Reuters

The protesters' final destination is D Chowk, a large town square in central Islamabad near a number of significant government buildings - including the Prime Minister’s Office, the Parliament, and the Supreme Court.

Sometimes referred to as Democracy Chowk, the square is frequently used for political rallies.

Since it is located on two major roads, large gatherings at D Chowk have repeatedly disrupted and paralysed traffic in Islamabad.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday that the police were monitoring the square and would immediately arrest any protester who went there.

Here's a look back at the situation which unfolded across Pakistan on Sunday

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Reports of clashes between PTI workers and police are continuing to emerge from both camps.

Police have said protesters are pelting stones at them, leading to the hospitalisation of 14 officials. PTI workers meanwhile claim police are firing tear gas shells into the crowds and rushing at them with their batons.

Dozens of protesters were arrested across Islamabad on Monday morning, according to local authorities, including at least four people in D Chowk, a large town square in central Islamabad near many important government buildings.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday that police were monitoring D Chowk and would arrest anyone who stepped foot into the square.

Imran Khan has been in jail since last August for failing to correctly declare the sale of state gifts.

The former cricketer-turned-politician was elected as prime minister in 2018, but was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022 after falling out with Pakistan's powerful military.

The 71-year-old says the charges are polically motivated, and a United Nations panel declared his detention was arbitrary.

But though Khan remains in jail with new cases against his name, he is still dominating the country's politics.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Among those marching on Islamabad demanding Imran Khan’s release is his wife and former first lady, Bushra Bibi.

Bibi, who was sentenced alongside Khan in January but released on bail in late October, participated in a vehicular convoy on Sunday. Speaking from a microphone inside her vehicle, she spurred on supporters who had paused to rest on their way into the capital.

"Stay in your vehicles, and let's move faster to reach our destination," she said to the crowd. "We are wasting time this way."

“We are here to bring Khan back, and we won't return without him. Get in your vehicles so we can reach quickly.”

PTI Peshawar Region President Arbab Asim said the convoy would enter Islamabad on Monday morning.

Yvette Tan
Live editor

Thousands of supporters of Imran Khan, Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister, are marching towards the capital Islamabad from across the country, demanding his release.

It's currently just past 09:00 in Islamabad, but already dozens of protesters have clashed with police, pelting stones at officers, who reportedly responded by firing tear gas - with more violence expected later on in the day.

Authorities have put the capital under lockdown, blocking highways and suspending phone services in certain areas in a bid to stop the movement - which first began on Sunday - though protesters do not seem deterred.

Protesters started after Khan had earlier issued a "final call" to his supporters, calling on them to remain in the capital until the government addresses their demands.

He is currently serving a three-year-jail term for corruption - which he denies. Despite his legal troubles, he remains hugely popular in Pakistan.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest.