ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad administration on Monday refused to give permission to both the Pakistani government and the opposition to hold rallies in the capital’s Red Zone, with regard to a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistani media reported.
An alliance of opposition parties filed the motion on March 8, saying PM Khan had lost his parliamentary majority after over a dozen defections from his party. The opposition accuses PM Khan of mismanaging the economy and foreign policy, and poorly governing the country.
The National Assembly of Pakistan will meet on Friday to take up the no-confidence motion.
Both sides promised to gather hundreds of thousands of supporters in the federal capital’s Red Zone, a heavily protected area and home to major government offices and foreign embassies, raising fears of violence.
But the two sides have been denied the permission to rally their supporters to the sensitive area, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.
“The ICT administration is of the opinion that since both the government and the opposition were seeking the same venue, there was a possibility of a clash between the participants,” the report read.
“It also said that holding rallies in the Red Zone would also create security concerns.”
Ali Nawaz Awan, a member of PM Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, said they have now decided to hold the March 27 public gathering at the Parade Ground as it would prove to be the best venue for the number of people attending the rally.
“Islamabad administration has been submitted a request for the change of venue,” Awan said on Twitter.
Earlier, an alliance of opposition parties, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), announced a joint public meeting at the Constitution Avenue in Islamabad on March 23.
The opposition alliance later changed the date to March 25 in view of a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers and the Pakistan Day parade.
Pakistan is hosting the two-day OIC foreign ministers conference on March 22-23.
Pakistan government, opposition denied permission to hold rallies in Islamabad’s Red Zone
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Pakistan government, opposition denied permission to hold rallies in Islamabad’s Red Zone
- Islamabad administration feared violence after both sides promised to gather supporters in the same vicinity
- The rallies have been announced with regard to a no-confidence motion filed against Prime Minister Imran Khan
Pakistan says responding to Afghan ‘offensive operations’ after border fire as tensions escalate
- Afghan Taliban spokesperson says “large-scale offensive operations” launched against Pakistani military bases
- Pakistan says Afghan forces opened “unprovoked” fire across multiple sectors along shared border
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said on Thursday they had launched “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani military bases and installations, prompting Pakistan to say its forces were responding to what it described as unprovoked fire along the shared border.
The escalation follows Islamabad’s weekend airstrikes targeting what it said were Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh militant camps inside Afghanistan in response to a wave of recent bombings and attacks in Pakistan. Islamabad said the strikes killed over 100 militants, while Kabul said dozens of civilians were killed and condemned the attacks as a violation of its sovereignty.
In a post on social media platform X, Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghanistan had launched “large-scale offensive operations” in response to repeated violations by the Pakistani military.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said Afghan forces had initiated hostilities along multiple points of the frontier.
“Afghan Taliban regime unprovoked action along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border given an immediate, and effective response,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement said Pakistani forces were targeting Taliban positions in the Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors, claiming heavy Afghan casualties and the destruction of multiple posts and equipment. It added that Pakistan would take all necessary measures to safeguard its territorial integrity and the security of its citizens.
Separately, security officials said Pakistani forces had carried out counterattacks in several border sectors.
“Pakistan’s security forces are giving a befitting reply to the unprovoked Afghan aggression with full force,” a security official said, declining to be named.
“The Pakistani security forces’ counter-attack destroyed Taliban’s hideouts and the Khawarij fled,” they added, referring to TTP militants.
The claims from both sides could not be independently verified.
Cross-border violence has intensified in recent weeks, with Pakistan blaming a surge in suicide bombings and militant attacks on militants it says are based in Afghanistan. Kabul denies providing safe havens to anti-Pakistan militant groups.
The clashes mark the third major escalation between the neighbors in less than a year. Similar Pakistani strikes last year triggered weeklong clashes before Qatar, Türkiye and other regional actors mediated a ceasefire in October.
The 2,600-kilometer (1,600-mile) frontier, a key trade and transit corridor linking Pakistan to landlocked Afghanistan and onward to Central Asia, has faced repeated closures amid tensions, disrupting commerce and humanitarian movement. Trade between the two nations has remained closed since October 2025.
