Pakistan’s security forces conducted a midnight raid on supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan after they stormed Islamabad, demanding his release. As per media reports, hundreds of people were arrested in the operation.
“Today, armed security forces launched a violent assault on peaceful PTI protesters in Islamabad, firing live rounds with the intent to kill as many people as possible,” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said in a post on X.
Earlier, thousands of protesters, led by a convoy headed by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, gathered in central Islamabad and breached several security barriers near the city’s heavily fortified red zone. The red zone area houses important government buildings, including Pakistan’s parliament and foreign missions. The protests turned violent, resulting in the deaths of six people, including four paramilitary soldiers.
A raid was launched by security forces on Tuesday night to disperse the protesters. Security forces used tear gas to disperse protesters, and local media reported that lights in the area had been turned off during the operation.
Imran Khan’s party, PTI, said that the protesters had planned to stage a sit-in in the red zone until Khan’s release. The former prime minister has been in jail since August 2023. Pakistan interior minister Mohsin Naqvi rejected any possibility of negotiations with the protesters, accusing them of being armed and violating a ban on gatherings.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blamed the protesters for the deaths of the soldiers, accusing them of using vehicles to attack paramilitary troops. PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari denied these claims, however, saying that two protesters had also died and 30 were injured during the clashes. Bukhari alleged that one protester was shot dead while another was run over by a vehicle.
Sharif, in a statement, described the protest as an act of extremism aimed at achieving political goals. He also said that law enforcement agencies were reaching their “limits of restraint” in handling the violence.
Earlier, Khan, 72, in a post on X from jail, urged his supporters to continue their struggle, saying, “My message for my team is to fight until the last ball is bowled. We will not back down until our demands are met.”
The violence escalated after a march led by Khan’s wife and key aide Ali Amin Gandapur reached Islamabad on Tuesday. Khan’s wife fled as police pushed back against demonstrators.
The protest, described by Khan as the “final call,” follows a series of demonstrations held by PTI since his imprisonment. Pakistan authorities noted that this protest was larger and more violent than previous ones, with participants reportedly armed with tear gas launchers, steel rods, and other objects.
PTI has also called for the reversal of constitutional amendments that it claims undermine the judiciary, which has questioned some of the cases against Khan.
Imran Khan, who was removed from power by parliament in 2022 after losing the support of the military, faces multiple charges, including corruption and incitement to violence, which he denies. Khan’s party had performed well in February elections but claimed the polls were rigged by a military-backed crackdown. The military has denied these allegations.