Pakistani forces launch midnight raid on ex-PM Imran Khan’s supporters, he says to ‘fight till the end’

A convoy led by Khan’s woman Bushra Bibi had earlier breached done respective lines of information and reached adjacent Islamabad’s highly fortified reddish portion arsenic thousands of protesters gathered astatine the centre of superior city.

Message to the Pakistani federation by erstwhile Prime Minister Imran Khan, from Adiala jail, Rawalpindi:

I commend the Pakistani federation and PTI’s governmental workers, who are warring for their rights by participating successful this peaceful protest, and resolutely lasting earlier the mafia…

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 26, 2024

Army soldiers defender the reddish portion country which houses Pakistan’s astir important offices and buildings, including the parliament and overseas missions.

Local media Geo News and ARY reported that a raid by Pakistani medication connected Tuesday nighttime successful cardinal Islamabad led to the dispersion of the protestation gathering. The authorities besides fired a barrage of teargas arsenic the lights were turned off.

Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protesters earlier stormed into Islamabad and seized Zero Point ‘D-Chowk,’ wherever they had planned to signifier an indefinite sit-in until their person is freed who has been successful jailhouse since August 2023.

Paramilitary soldiers occurrence rubber bullets and teardrop state shells to disperse supporters of imprisoned erstwhile premier Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, during clashes astatine D-Chowk quadrate adjacent to Red Zone, which is an country that houses cardinal authorities buildings, successful Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, speaking to journalists, said that immoderate negotiations with the protesters is retired of contention arsenic helium claimed that the mob utilized weapons against forces, they were heavy equipped and had breached a prohibition connected gatherings successful the city.

In a station connected X, Imran Khan said “My connection for my squad is to combat until the past shot is bowled. We volition not backmost down until our demands are met.”

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused the protesters of sidesplitting the paramilitary unit by ramming the troops with a convoy of vehicles. “It is not a peaceful protest. It is extremism,” Sharif said successful a statement, aimed astatine achieving “evil governmental designs,” Reuters reported.

However, PTI’s spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari denied the charges and claimed that 2 protesters were killed and 30 remained injured successful the crackdown by information forces. One of the protesters was changeable dormant and the different was tally implicit by a vehicle, Bukhari added.