Thousands of Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s supporters clashed with security forces after breaking through barricades in Islamabad. Protestors demanded Khan’s release and the resignation of the current federal government.
Conflicting reports emerged about the deaths of the four security officers. The interior ministry claimed that a vehicle carrying protesters ran over the officers, killing them. At the same time, eyewitnesses have stated that it was the security forces vehicle that ran them over while they were running away. Shehbaz Sharif, the current prime minister of Pakistan, condemned the violence, labeling it as extremism.
Police used tear gas to stop the protestors from advancing as they destroyed obstacles, including shipping containers. This protest was led by Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan’s third wife, and his right hand, Ali Amin Gandapur. While addressing the protestors, Bibi called for a nonviolent protest as they approached the red zone in Islamabad, which is home to important government buildings.
Imran Khan has been behind bars for more than a year and is the subject of more than 150 criminal charges, many of which he says are due to political gain. To quell the protests, authorities have imposed travel restrictions, halted internet services, and arrested more than 4000 PTI members.
Protesters broke through barriers and entered the capital despite the orders prohibiting public gatherings. As tensions have escalated in Islamabad, the government has deployed the army with shoot-on-sight orders.
Amid the ongoing violence, differing accounts have emerged concerning the deaths. The reports about the casualties that have happened so far vary. As protests intensify, the political divide deepens in Pakistan, with no resolution in sight so far. Imran Khan’s supporters continue to clash with security forces to demand his release, but authorities insist that only the courts alone hold that power.
