ISLAMABAD – Supporters demanding the release of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday broke into shipping containers that blocked the capital Islamabad, and at least six people were killed in violence related to the protests. Protesters clashed with security forces and ignored the government’s threat to respond with gunfire.
The dead include four members of the security forces and one civilian who died while patrolling the road. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack on Tuesday, saying an “anarchist group” had deliberately targeted law enforcement personnel. There were no requests to commit to ramming. A policeman died in another incident.
Thousands of soldiers poured into the center of Islamabad. Pakistani troops have taken control of D-Chowk, the main square in the center of Islamabad’s Red Zone, which is home to important government buildings and a staging area for protesters. Military guards are building the next layer of containment in the area and the police are building a third. The guards urged everyone to leave the area, including journalists, and fired into the air.
“Now we have allowed the police to take any decision according to the situation,” said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi when he visited the scene.
Earlier, Naqvi threatened the security forces to respond with fire if the protesters shoot them with weapons.
Visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was staying in the Red Zone as part of his official visit.
Another protester, Shahzor Ali, said that people were on the streets because Khan had called them. “We will stay here until Khan is with us. He will decide what to do next.”
“If they shoot again, the bullet will be returned with a bullet,” he said.
The police used tear gas to try to disperse the crowd. A number of people were injured, including journalists who were attacked by protesters. Dozens of Khan’s supporters beat up a videographer covering the protest for the Associated Press and took his camera. He suffered a head injury and was treated at the hospital.
Pakistani media stopped filming and photographing the rally, instead focusing on security measures and the city’s deserted streets.
People close in the Red Zone. Naqvi said Khan’s party rejected the government’s offer to meet on the outskirts of the city. By Tuesday afternoon, new waves of protesters were on their way to the rally site without opposition. Most carried the party flag on their shoulders or wore their tricolor on their paraphernalia.
Khan, who has spent more than a year in jail and faces more than 150 charges, remains popular. His party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, says the charges are politically motivated.
Authorities say only the courts can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 by a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been in custody since his first conviction in August 2023, and has been convicted of many other crimes.
Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, who is leading the protest, told people to continue marching towards the Red Zone peacefully. He said another action plan would be handed over to the protesters if Khan was not released. He also urged the government not to harm the protesters.
In an effort to stop the protest, the police have arrested more than 4,000 of Khan’s supporters since Friday and suspended mobile phone and internet services in other parts of the country. On Thursday, the court banned gatherings in the capital and Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested.
Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become almost impossible due to shipping containers blocking the roads. All educational institutions remain closed. Mobile internet services and messaging platforms are experiencing major disruptions in the capital.
PTI relies heavily on social media to demand his release and uses messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. The X forum, which is banned in Pakistan, is no longer accessible even through a VPN.
– Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this report.
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