Imran’s supporters seize Islamabad

Islamabad: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s supporters reached the heart of Pakistan’s capital on Tuesday after removing barricades and battling police in clashes that killed six security personnel and injured dozens.

Four paramilitary Rangers and two policemen were killed late Monday and over 100 security personnel injured when protesters marching towards D-Chowk turned violent, prompting the federal government to deploy the army in Islamabad along with shoot-at-sight orders, state-run media said on Tuesday.

The 72-year-old former premier, who has been in jail since August last year, issued a “final call” on November 13 for nationwide protests on November 24, denouncing what he termed as the stolen mandate, the unjust arrests of people and the passage of the 26th amendment, which he said has strengthened a “dictatorial regime”. Geo News shared footage, which showed Khan’s supporters climbing on the shipping containers placed on the roads leading to D-Chowk, which is located close to several important government buildings: the Presidency, the PM Office, the Parliament, and the Supreme Court.

It was unclear if the protesters would stage a sit-in or leave D-Chowk, though the top leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had vowed to remain in Islamabad until Khan was released. Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, who stubbornly led the protests, said in one of her addresses to the protestors to go away only if Khan comes in person to tell about the next course of action.

They reached their declared destination despite repeated claims by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi that nobody would be allowed to make it to D-Chowk. Naqvi also said the government tried to convince PTI leaders in every way, but they only gained time from negotiations and moved towards the federal capital.

“We offered the protestors to gather at Sangjani. Their entire leadership does not want a bloodbath, but there’s one secret leadership controlling all this, which was the apple of the discord,” he said. He also said that all PTI supporters had come from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.