Pakistan police crackdown clears Khan protesters from Islamabad

Lockdown successful the superior lifted aft protesters, who forced their mode into metropolis connected Tuesday amid deadly clashes, cleared.

Pakistan’s information forces person driven supporters of imprisoned erstwhile Prime Minister Imran Khan from the capital, Islamabad, pursuing a sweeping crackdown overnight.

Authorities reopened roads linking the metropolis with the remainder of the country, ending a four-day lockdown, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said connected Wednesday, confirming that the superior had been cleared.

Security unit arrested hundreds of protesters during the cognition and cleared the centre of the metropolis of thousands who had gathered to request the merchandise of the politician, who alleges the charges are politically motivated.

On Wednesday morning, metropolis workers were cleaning up debris and clearing the shipping containers that had been utilized by authorities to artifact roads starring into the superior to halt the protesters’ march.

The march connected the superior was called by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. It had planned to signifier a sit-in to property for the merchandise of Khan, who has been jailed since August 2023 successful transportation with much than 150 cases. The cricketer-turned-politician claims the cases were intended to forestall his comeback successful contested elections this year.

Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, spearheaded the convoy that connected Tuesday broke done information lines starring to the borderline of the Red Zone, which houses authorities buildings and embassies.

More than 10,000 protesters confronted astir 20,000 information unit successful deadly clashes that saw respective radical killed, including 4 paramilitary soldiers.

Supporters of erstwhile PM Imran Khan march towards Islamabad aft clearing shipping containers placed by authorities [File: Aamir Qureshi/AFP]

Late connected Tuesday, the service took power of D-Chowk, a ample quadrate successful the Red Zone wherever protesters had gathered.

PTI announced a “temporary suspension” of the protests, broadcaster Geo News reported connected Wednesday.

Mohammad Asim, PTI’s president for the metropolis of Peshawar successful the party’s bluish stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told quality bureau Reuters that the enactment would “chalk retired the caller strategy aboriginal aft due consultation”.

He said Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, a cardinal Khan ally, had returned “safely” to the state from Islamabad. Police are known to beryllium seeking Bibi’s arrest.

Police person arrested much than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services successful immoderate parts of the country. However, services person present been restored.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies