Pakistan government threatens to fire upon pro-Imran Khan protesters as capital lockdown breached

The Pakistan authorities has warned they volition respond to bullets with bullets as much unit was anticipated during a planned march by supporters of jailed erstwhile premier curate Imran Khan, breaching the lockdown successful superior Islamabad.

The decease toll from the intensifying unit has accrued to six, including a constabulary officer, during the protestation march connected parliament for a sit-in demonstration to request the merchandise of Mr Khan. The authorities has sealed the superior with barricades and tankers.

At slightest 4 information services members and a civilian were killed erstwhile a conveyance rammed into them connected a thoroughfare known arsenic Srinagar Highway successful Islamabad. Some radical allegedly drove a conveyance into a assemblage of civilians and rangers.

Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the fatal attacks connected Tuesday, saying an “anarchist group” was deliberately targeting instrumentality enforcement personnel.

Pakistan cannot “afford immoderate signifier of chaos oregon bloodshed”, helium said, adding that it was for nefarious governmental docket which is “unacceptable and highly condemnable”.

The authorities has imposed a strict lockdown of the superior for the last 3 days to artifact the protesters from reaching the superior with each large highways and roads blocked by shipping containers, factual barricades and information unit with mobile information suspended successful immoderate areas.

However, connected Tuesday, supporters of Mr Khan broke done the ringing of defence and clashed with constabulary which fired teardrop state to disperse the crowd.

Mr Khan’s 3rd wife, Bushra Bibi, and a cardinal aide, Ali Amin Gandapur, who is the main curate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, person been starring the latest objection that arrived astir wrong Islamabad connected Monday night.

In a property league aft midnight, interior curate Mohsin Naqvi threatened protesters that constabulary would respond with unrecorded occurrence if protesters fired weapons astatine them aft helium announced the decease of a instrumentality enforcement member.

"If they again occurrence bullets, the slug volition beryllium responded with a bullet," helium said.

The Ministry of Interior announced the deployment of the Pakistani Army successful Islamabad, involving Article 245 of the constitution, which authorises the usage of forces successful the concern of interior information issues, riots, oregon earthy disasters, reported Geo TV.

Usman Anwar, main of constabulary successful Punjab province, said astatine slightest 119 others were injured, and 22 constabulary vehicles were torched successful clashes conscionable extracurricular Islamabad and elsewhere successful the Punjab province.

Two officers were successful captious condition, helium said.

Mr Khan has been imprisoned for implicit a year, facing much than 150 transgression cases. Despite this, helium remains wide popular, with his governmental party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, claiming the charges are politically driven.

Authorities accidental lone courts tin bid the merchandise of Mr Khan, who was ousted successful 2022 done a no-confidence ballot successful parliament. He has been imprisoned since his archetypal condemnation successful a graft case, successful August 2023, and has been sentenced successful respective cases.

The Associated Press said dozens of supporters of Mr Khan bushed their videographer covering the protestation and took his camera. He sustained caput injuries and was being treated successful a hospital.

Police person arrested much than 4,000 Khan supporters, including activists, since Friday.

Separately, constabulary registered a lawsuit against Mr Khan, his wife, and hundreds of elder PTI leaders implicit convulsive protests connected charges including the anti-terrorism law.