Pakistan is once again in the throes of large-scale violence as the government launched a crackdown on Imran Khan’s supporters who defied a lockdown to demand his release from jail.
Tensions gripped Islamabad since Sunday, when supporters of the former prime minister began a “long march” to the capital which he described as the “final call” for his release from the jail where he has been held for the past year.
Several people have reportedly been killed as security forces, who took over the capital on Tuesday, clashed with protesters to block them from camping in the heart of the city.
The dramatic scenes in Pakistan coincided with a high-profile visit by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, whose two-day tour was overshadowed by the violence.
What’s the latest?
War-like scenes emerged from the streets of the capital Islamabad where convoys of Mr Khan’s supporters converged from across the country despite the heavy military presence.
To block the protesters from arriving in the city, the authorities erected huge walls of shipping containers, placed concrete barricades, and columns of security forces took charge to maintain law and order.
However, all proved inadequate as the convoys of protesters pushed their way through the ring of defence of shipping containers and dismantled roadblocks to reach the centre of Islamabad, D-Chowk, their final destination, where they intended to camp.
Patriotic songs blared from the vehicles of the protesters and some danced in front of the slow-moving convoy while raising slogans of “Revolution! Revolution!”.
Some chanted the slogan “Prisoner Number 804” in reference to Mr Khan’s jail ID and marched alongside trucks and cars displaying huge banners with Mr Khan’s face.
By late afternoon, some of the convoys reached the D-Chowk and some people climbed atop the shipping containers as the protesters outnumbered the security forces who tried to stop them by firing rubber bullets, slingshots and tear gas.
However, the forces launched a brutal crackdown late in the night and successfully pushed back the protesters, clearing the D-Chowk.
Mr Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, who was leading the protest with other stalwarts of the party, was also on her way to the centre, however, she was evacuated by the workers of the party after receiving the intel that her convoy would be set on fire, Zulfi Bukhari, a spokesperson for Mr Khan’s party, said.
Reuters reported that the truck in which Ms Bibi had been leading the protests appeared charred by flames. Mr Bukhari confirmed she was unhurt and taken to a safe place.
Mr Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said a “massacre” unfolded in Pakistan and the armed forces fired live rounds, killing “hundreds of people” and many injured with gunshot wounds. It did not give a number as to how many were killed.
Government authorities have said six people, including four security personnel, a police officer and a civilian, have died at the hands of protesters.
The protest sites have since been cleared and a clean up drive was launched as PTI officials said they have temporarily called off the protests.
“All roads are being reopened, and the demonstrators have been dispersed,” interior minister Mohsin Naqvi said.
Who called the protest?
Jailed leader Mr Khan earlier last week issued a “final call” for a protest in Islamabad and urged his supporters to converge on 24 November.
“November 24th is the day to break free from slavery. The rule of law, constitution, and human rights are suspended in Pakistan, forcing the nation to come out to protest and make sacrifice,” Mr Khan said in a social media post on his X account run by his aides.
In another social media post passed on through his aides, Mr Khan called on his supporters to “fight until the last ball is bowled” and hold peaceful rallies.
“We will not back down until our demands are met,” a post said, accusing security forces of firing on peaceful party workers.
“All protesting Pakistanis stay peaceful, united and stand firm until our demands are met – this is the struggle for Pakistan’s survival and true freedom,” he added.
Mr Khan remains enormously popular in Pakistan and the jailed leader has managed to successfully galvanise large-scale protests in the country despite remaining in jail since August.
The government had put the capital under strict lockdown as it prepared for protesters and invoked Article 245 of the constitution on Tuesday, allowing a civilian government to call in the army to help it implement “law and order” domestically in the situation of an internal crisis.
Why are they protesting?
One of the top demands of Mr Khan’s PTI workers and supporters has been for his release from jail as he remains embroiled in over 150 cases. They have also demanded the release of other PTI leaders who have been arrested in the last two years.
Mr Khan has claimed that the cases against him have been politically motivated after he fell out with the army and was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022.
His wife, Ms Bibi, was also jailed in January this year but released last year after the couple was acquitted on unlawful marriage charges.
They are demanding the ruling Shehbaz Sharif government to revoke the controversial changes to the constitution hastily approved by the parliament in October.
The National Assembly of Pakistan rushed through the 26th amendment in the constitution which gave power to the parliament to pick the Supreme Court’s chief justice. The amendment which was approved in a special session on a public holiday on Sunday drew outrage from the opposition party and the PTI called the amendment will be “suffocating a free judiciary”.
Mr Khan’s party has also demanded the return of what he has called a “stolen mandate” in last year’s elections which were marred by allegations of widespread vote rigging and delayed results.
During the elections, Mr Khan and his PTI party were barred from contesting and candidates aligned with the party were forced to contest independently. They still won most seats in the parliament but not enough to form the government. The legacy parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), formed a government with Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister.
Why is Imran Khan in jail?
The former star cricketer, 72, was prime minister from 2018 to 2022 before being ousted in a no-confidence motion. He alleged that his ouster was orchestrated by Pakistan’s powerful army at the behest of the US. The army and the US denied the allegation.
Last year, he was arrested on various corruption charges on his way to a hearing, triggering huge protests.
He has since been fighting over 150 cases and has been handed convicted sentences in several, including for three years, 10 years, 14 years and seven years to be served concurrently under Pakistani law. However, many of the cases have been overturned and the PTI party claims he is being held illegally.
