Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan staged intense protests on Tuesday, breaking through shipping container barricades set up to lock down Islamabad, clashing with police, and defying government warnings of severe retaliation.
The protests, which aim to secure Khan’s release from prison, have turned violent, leaving scores injured, including journalists. Among the injured was a videographer working for The Associated Press, who was assaulted by Khan’s supporters. The attackers damaged his equipment, and he sustained head injuries that required hospital treatment.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued a stark warning late Monday, threatening that security forces would respond with live ammunition if protesters fired weapons. “If they fire bullets again, the bullet will be responded to with the bullet,” Naqvi declared.
Imran Khan, leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been incarcerated for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, which his party claims are politically motivated. The former premier, ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament, has been imprisoned since his conviction in a graft case in August 2023. He has since received additional sentences in several other cases.
Despite his imprisonment, Khan remains a popular figure in Pakistan. On Tuesday, thousands of his supporters were within 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of Islamabad’s Red Zone, which houses key government buildings. Interior Minister Naqvi revealed that PTI had rejected the government’s offer to stage their rally on the outskirts of the city.
In a bid to suppress the protests, authorities have arrested more than 4,000 PTI supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services in parts of the country. Travel to and from Islamabad has been severely restricted, with shipping containers blocking major roads. Educational institutions remain closed, and digital communication platforms like WhatsApp and social media, which PTI heavily relies on to organize and spread its message, are experiencing severe disruptions.
The violence comes as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is on an official visit to Pakistan, adding to the tense political and diplomatic atmosphere.
The protests underscore the deep divisions within the country, with PTI supporters accusing the government of targeting their leader for political gain, while authorities maintain that only the courts can decide Khan’s fate.
