One killed, dozens injured as supporters of Imran Khan protest in Pakistan

Supporters of the erstwhile premier curate are marching to the capital, Islamabad, demanding his merchandise from jail.

At slightest 1 constabulary serviceman has been killed and dozens of radical injured successful Pakistan arsenic supporters of jailed erstwhile Prime Minister Imran Khan have clashed with information forces extracurricular the capital, Islamabad, officials and Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) enactment say.

Authorities enforced a information lockdown for the past 2 days successful the state aft Khan called for the march connected parliament and a sit-in to request his release.

On Monday, 1 constabulary serviceman was changeable and killed, astatine slightest 119 others were injured and 22 constabulary vehicles were torched successful clashes conscionable extracurricular Islamabad and elsewhere successful Punjab province, provincial constabulary main Usman Anwar said. Two officers were successful captious condition, helium added.

The PTI said scores of its workers person besides been injured successful the rally truthful far.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said those liable for the decease of the constabulary serviceman would look justice.

Speaking astatine the ceremonial of Constable Muhammad Mubashir successful Rawalpindi, Naqvi said it’s not the archetypal clip constabulary officers person been killed during governmental protests.

“Last clip excessively they assaulted … our unit who were martyred, and contiguous we had to person different ceremonial again,” Naqvi told the media.

“Those who called the protesters, they volition beryllium held liable for this death. We volition not spare anybody, and determination volition beryllium cases registered against each of them.”

The protestation march, which Khan has described arsenic the “final call”, is 1 of galore his enactment has held to question his merchandise since helium was jailed successful August past year.

His enactment said the jailed leader’s 3rd wife, Bushra Bibi, and a cardinal aide, Ali Amin Gandapur, who is the main curate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, led the march that arrived conscionable extracurricular Islamabad connected Monday night.

“Physically, it has been precise challenging to perpetually question successful this cold, but our spirits are high, and we look guardant to scope our destination aboriginal tonight,” PTI person Asim Arbab told Al Jazeera connected arriving astatine the introduction constituent to Islamabad.

Islamabad unopen down

In effect to the PTI’s calls for protests successful Islamabad, the authorities imposed measures specified arsenic shutting down the city’s introduction and exit points and enforcing net blackouts. Shipping containers were utilized to artifact large roads and streets successful the city, and constabulary and paramilitary unit patrolled successful riot gear.

Officials and witnesses said each nationalist transport betwixt cities and terminals had besides been unopen down successful the eastbound state to support distant the protesters, and gatherings successful Islamabad person been banned.

All schools successful the superior and the adjacent metropolis of Rawalpindi, which were closed connected Monday, volition besides stay closed connected Tuesday, authorities said.

Naqvi said information forces showed “extreme restraint” successful confronting the protesters, immoderate of whom helium said had fired unrecorded rounds portion constabulary utilized rubber bullets and fired teardrop state canisters.

“It is casual to respond a slug with a bullet,” helium said.

But Khan’s enactment accused the authorities of utilizing excessive unit to artifact the protesters and said hundreds of its workers and leaders had been arrested.

“They are adjacent firing unrecorded bullets,” 1 of Khan’s aides, Shaukat Yousafzai, told Geo News.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Geo News TV that the authorities had held talks with PTI leaders to calm down the situation, “but it didn’t output immoderate results.”

Sayed Zulfi Bukhari, a elder PTI person and adjacent adjutant to Khan, categorically rejected Asif’s assertion and said nary benignant of negotiations had occurred with the government.

“We person entered Islamabad, and determination is nary request for america to speech to the government,” helium told Al Jazeera.

“Our demands are not unreasonable astatine all, and it is thing that each national of Pakistan should inquire for.”

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies