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At least one policeman has been killed and dozens of people injured in Pakistan as supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan clashed with security forces outside the capital Islamabad on Monday, a government minister and Khan's party said.
Mr Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), says the cases are politically motivated.
Authorities have enforced a security lockdown for the last two days to block protesters, whom Mr Khan has called on to march on parliament for a sit-in demonstration to demand his release, while highways into the city have been barricaded.
The government has used shipping containers to block major roads and streets in Islamabad, with patrols of police and paramilitary personnel in riot gear.
"We wouldn't let them storm the capital," provincial Information Minister Uzma Bukhari said, adding that about 80 of Mr Khan's supporters had been arrested.
One police officer was shot and killed and at least 70 others were injured in clashes just outside Islamabad, she told a press conference. There were reports of several other clashes elsewhere in the province, she said.
The PTI said scores of its workers were also hurt.
A convoy was expected to reach the capital late Monday. (AP: Maaz Awan)
The "long march" comes ahead of a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to Islamabad.
The convoy of vehicles carrying protesters is expected to reach the capital, which has been sealed off, later on Monday (local time).
Security officials say they expect between 9,000-11,000 demonstrators while the PTI claims the number will be much higher.
The lockdown, which has been in place for two days following the call for protest, has disrupted daily life and made travel between Islamabad and other cities nearly impossible.
Protesters burned bushes to reduce the impact of tear gas shells fired by police officers at a motorway in Ghazi in Attock district. (AP: Maaz Awan)
Ambulances and cars were seen turning back from areas along the key Grand Trunk Road highway in the province of Punjab, where shipping containers were used to block roads.
Footage circulating online showed some protesters, who had been travelling all night, operating heavy machinery to remove the containers and clear the roads to Islamabad.
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"We are determined and we will reach Islamabad, though police are using tear gas to stop our march," Kamran Bangash, a PTI senior leader, told The Associated Press.
"We will overcome all hurdles one by one, and our supporters are removing shipping containers from roads."
Mr Bangash also said Mr Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, recently released on bail in a graft case, will lead the march along with Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where Mr Khan's party remains in power.
Bibi addresses protesters
Almost 50 kilometres away from Islamabad, Ms Bibi, wearing a loose Hijab and a white head-to-toe burqa, addressed protesters while sitting in a truck, urging them to remain determined to "achieve their goal" and free Mr Khan.
She then chanted "God is great" and left.
Mr Khan's main political opponent, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, heads the current government.
Mr Sharif's spokesman, Attaullah Tarar, said on Sunday that whenever any high-profile foreign delegation comes to Pakistan, PTI "begins the politics of long marches and onslaught on Islamabad to harm the economy".
Some economists say protests cause billions of rupees in damages to the country's fragile economy.
Protesters on Sunday night burned trees as police fired tear gas to disperse crowds. Mr Khan's supporters retaliated by using slingshots and pelting security personnel with rocks.
Thousands arrested
Thousands of PTI supporters have already been arrested. (AP: KM Chaudary)
In a bid to foil the protest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services "in areas with security concerns," which PTI said affected the efficacy of its call for protest on social media.
On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested.
Authorities say only courts can order the release of Mr Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case.
Mr Khan has also been sentenced in several cases, including to three years, 10 years, 14 years and seven years to be served concurrently under Pakistani law.
His convictions were later overturned in appeals but he cannot be freed due to other pending cases against him.
Reuters/AP