ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani authorities banned gatherings of five or more people in the capital ahead of a planned march by the supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The two-month ban announced Tuesday comes before a rally Sunday planned by Khan’s party to pressure the government to release the imprisoned former leader.
Officials said the ban is aimed at ensuring peace by stopping any unlawful gathering in the current security environment. The government notice made no mention of any specific security threat, but militant violence has been surging in Pakistan.
Last month, authorities had virtually locked down the city to thwart a similar big political rally by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, forcing the opposition to hold the gathering on the outskirts of the city.
Khan has been in prison for more than a year in connection with more than 150 criminal cases, but he remains popular and his party and supporters say the cases against him are politically motivated.
Khan was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament, and authorities say they are in talks with Khan's party to convince it to postpone the rally because of possible militant attacks.
FILE - Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, right, and Bushra Bibi, his wife, speak to the media before signing documents to submit surety bond over his bails in different cases, at an office of Lahore High Court in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 17, 2023. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary, File)
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Lasith Embuldeniya will return after more than two years away from test cricket after being selected in Sri Lanka's squad to play two test matches in South Africa starting later this month.
The 17-member squad named Tuesday is led by Dhananjaya de Silva and includes nine batters, three specialist spinners and five pace bowlers.
The last of Embuldeniya's 17 test caps for Sri Lanka came in June 2022 against Australia.
He is the second left-arm spinner in the squad along with Prabath Jayasuriya, who took 18 wickets in Sri Lanka's 2-0 series win against New Zealand in September.
Opening batter Oshada Fernando also returns after nearly a year out of the squad, while off spinner Ramesh Mendis has not been named.
The first test starts in Durban on Nov. 27. with the second test at Port Elizabeth from Dec. 5.
Sri Lanka squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Oshada Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Lasith Embuldeniya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
FILE -Sri Lanka's Prabath Jayasuriya acknowledges after taking six New Zealand wickets during the day three of the second test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle , Sri Lanka, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)
FILE -Sri Lanka's Lasith Embuldeniya reacts after India's Ravichandran Ashwin hit a boundary on his delivery during the second day of the second cricket test match between India and Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, India, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, File)
