Pakistani authorities Wednesday sealed the Red Zone in the national capital ahead of a protest rally by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Khan, 71, has asked his followers to protest at the D-Chowk in the capital on Friday to show solidarity with the judiciary, but the move aims to build pressure on the government to release him from jail, where he has been kept for more than a year.

According to details, police placed shipping containers on roads leading to the Red Zone, with only Margalla Road remaining open for traffic to access the Red Zone, which houses key official buildings and diplomatic missions.

Containers were placed along the Faizabad on the Express Highway to block the road in case of any emergency.

The security measures coincided with the visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is arriving in Islamabad on Wednesday on a three-day official visit.

Khan has changed his tactics recently by going for rallies and protests in the country after his efforts failed to seek a negotiated settlement with the establishment to end the problems faced by his party.

His party held three major political events, including a rally each in Islamabad and Lahore and a protest in Rawalpindi. The party had called for protests in Mianwali, Bahawalpur and Faisalabad on Wednesday, which would be followed by a power show at D-Chowk in Islamabad on Friday.

Khan has been in jail since his arrest on Aug 5, 2023. He has been facing dozens of cases and finds no easy way to tackle the mounting legal challenges.

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