Another anti-government protest had come and gone in Pakistan’s once peaceful capital, and Saira Bano was ready to get her city back.
For four days, Islamabad had been a tense battleground after supporters of a jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, marched into the city.
The capital, home to 2.4 million people, became a “container city” as the authorities stacked more than 700 shipping containers to block key routes and maintain order.
Schools and shops closed, internet service was cut, and roads teemed with thousands of police officers scrutinizing passers-by.
“This is not the Islamabad I grew up in,” said Ms. Bano, a schoolteacher who had to cancel her classes for three consecutive days.
Persons:
Saira Bano, Imran Khan, ”, Bano
Locations:
Pakistan’s, Islamabad