Islamabad, Nov 26 (NVI) Pakistan’s capital Islamabad today became a venue for a major showdown between security forces and thousands of supporters of the jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, leaving at least 6 people, including 4 security personnel, dead and many others injured.
Security forces resorted to firing, lobbing of teargas shells and cane-charging as the activists and supporters of Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) converged in Islamabad, demanding release of the 72-year-old leader and withdrawal of all cases against him.
Khan, a former cricket legend, has been in jail for over a year as over 150 criminal cases have been filed against him after his ouster as the Prime Minister in 2022.
Khan and his party have dubbed the charges as false and politically motivated.
To press for his release, thousands of his supporters from various parts of Pakistan reached Islamabad as part of the planned agitation.
Defying prohibitory orders, confronting severe police action and overcoming obstacles like huge truck containers installed on the main roads, thousands of protesters managed to reach D-Chowk, a square near the Parliament House complex, which has been a historic venue for demonstrations.
Intense clashes took place between the protesters and security forces and amidst the chaos, 4 personnel of paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) and a civilian were killed when a vehicle rammed into them.
A police officer was killed separately.
Many others were injured in the violence and clashes.
The protests are led by Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, who has vowed not to leave the D-Chowk until the demand for her husband’s release are met.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf is also demanding a rollback of constitutional amendments which it says have been carried out by the present government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to curtail the powers of the judiciary as the latter has criticised the legitimacy of the cases against Khan.
