Pakistani security forces have launched a sweeping midnight raid on supporters of the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan who had earlier forced their way through security barriers and entered Islamabad.
Thousands of protesters had gathered in the centre of the capital after a convoy, led by Khan’s wife, broke through several lines of security all the way to the edge of the city’s highly fortified red zone.
But late on Tuesday, hundreds were arrested and most of the protesters dispersed amid chaotic scenes as security forces launched a massive raid, firing teargas, according to local broadcasters.
At least seven people had earlier been killed and dozens injured in the unrest.
Authorities had enforced a security lockdown in the capital for the last three days after Khan called for supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to march on parliament for a sit-in demonstration to demand his release.
By Tuesday morning, upwards of 50,000 of Khan’s supporters had broken through the heavily fortified barriers and entered Islamabad, where they marched toward the “red zone”, an area in the centre of the capital where the parliament, supreme court and prime minister’s office are located. The area resembled a fortress of barriers, shipping containers and police personnel in riot gear.
The protesters were led by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who was recently released from prison, and Khan’s key aide, Ali Amin Gandapur, who is the chief minister of the PTI stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Tens of thousands more were expected to join from neighbouring Punjab and Rawalpindi.
As the protesters approached Islamabad’s D-Chowk, a roundabout in the heart of the red zone, the area resembled a battleground as police and paramilitary officers rained down rubber bullets and teargas on the crowds. By the afternoon, security personnel had succeeded in pushing back the crowds from D-Chowk but protesters refused to vacate the city and continued to violently push back against the riot police.
PTI’s main demand for the protest is for Khan to be released, alleging that the former prime minister is being held as a political prisoner and that the hundreds of charges against him are trumped up by his political opponents.
Voted out of power by parliament in 2022 after he fell out with Pakistan’s powerful military, Khan faces charges ranging from corruption to instigation of violence, all of which he and his party deny.
Among those who reached D-Chowk was Ibrar Khan, who had travelled from Khan’s province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in a convoy of protesters to reach the capital. “Imran Khan is like a father figure for us and father of the nation. We are here for him. We won’t go without releasing Khan,” he said.
He said that they had gone up against teargas and live bullets to reach the capital. “The government tried their best to stop us but despite all obstacles, we made it here,” he said. “We are ready to sacrifice our lives for Khan but won’t leave without Khan.”
The interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, had said earlier that Khan’s supporters would not be allowed to reach D-Chowk or get close to the red zone or parliament buildings. He said the government would not hesitate to use “extreme” steps to stop them, which could include imposing a curfew or deploying army troops. “We will not let them cross our red lines,” he said.
Naqvi said the government had offered PTI a field outside Islamabad to hold their protest and that the offer had been taken to Khan in his jail cell, but they were still waiting for a response.
The government, led by the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, was heavy-handed in its attempt to prevent Khan’s supporters reaching the capital. Highways into Islamabad were blocked with shipping containers and thousands of police and paramilitary lined the streets, firing rubber bullets and teargas at the protesters. Public transport into the city was also shut down to keep Khan’s supporters away.
One police officer was shot and killed in the clashes while more than 100 were injured, and 22 police vehicles were torched in clashes just outside Islamabad and elsewhere in the Punjab province, the provincial police chief, Usman Anwar, said. Two officers were in critical condition, he said.
Another four Rangers paramilitary officers were killed on the outskirts of Islamabad, reportedly when they were run over by a car driven by PTI protesters.
According to PTI, two supporters were killed by excessive police violence and scored more had been injured. “They are even firing live bullets,” said one of Khan’s aides, Shaukat Yousafzai.
The provincial information minister, Uzma Bukhari, said about 80 of Khan’s supporters had been arrested but PTI said that about 5,000 had been picked up by police as they marched to Islamabad from across the country.
Gatherings in Islamabad have been banned, while all schools in the capital and the adjacent city of Rawalpindi were to remain closed on Monday and Tuesday, the authorities said.
The march, which Khan has described as the “final call”, is one of many his party had held to seek his release since he was jailed in August last year. He now faces upwards of 100 charges, all of which he denies.
