Islamabad: Supporters of incarcerated former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan were forced to end their protest in Islamabad after security personnel launched a midnight crackdown on their demonstration. During the protest, clashes broke out between Khan's supporters, who were demanding the release of the cricketer-turned-politician from jail, and police that left six security personnel dead and dozens injured.
Defying curfew and government warnings, thousands of Imran Khan’s supporters breached barriers in Islamabad's high-security zone, clashing with security forces.
TV channels showed Khan's supporters facing tear gas and climbing on the shipping containers placed on the roads leading to D-Chowk, which is located close to several important government buildings.
Police sources said that 450 protesters were arrested in the midnight crackdown and more arrests were expected. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said that security forces fired live rounds on protesters with the intent of killing as many people as in the protest, which it described as a "massacre" under the "fascist military regime".
PTI, on its official X handle, posted the update regarding the calling off of the protest. It said, “In view of the government’s brutality and the government’s plan to turn the capital into a slaughterhouse for unarmed citizens, [we] announce the suspension of the peaceful protest for the time being.” The party also claimed that eight of its workers had allegedly been killed, though police claimed that six people, including four paramilitary forces, had died in the protest.
Tension in Islamabad has been rising since November 24, when Imran Khan's supporters started a ‘long march’ from the northwest, calling for his release. Imran Khan, imprisoned for over a year, faces more than 150 criminal charges, which his party claims are politically motivated. The government insists that only the courts can order Khan’s release following his removal in 2022 via a no-confidence vote in Parliament.
The protest was led by Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, but she fled as police pushed back against the demonstrators. Hundreds of Khan’s supporters have been arrested in the ongoing nighttime operation, and authorities are also seeking to arrest Bibi.
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Major updates... >> Supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan are protesting in over 60 locations worldwide including Canada and the US, demanding his release. Pakistani overseas students in Chicago also organized a protest and car rally to express their solidarity with Khan. >> Nearly 1,257 PTI workers were detained, with more than 200 arrested while attempting to march towards Islamabad in response to the party’s call for action, ARY news reported. >> Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the PTI of orchestrating the protest with the help of foreign elements, claiming that Afghan nationals had been recruited to join the demonstration. >> Sri Lanka’s A cricket team will return home midway from their ongoing series against Pakistan Shaheens due to intense political protests in Islamabad. |
