Six dead as Imran Khan supporters break through security to reach central Islamabad

Thousands of supporters of Imran Khan reached the heavy fortified quadrate successful the centre of superior Islamabad defying authorities lockdown and ultimatums to request the merchandise of the jailed erstwhile premier minister.

At slightest six people, including a constabulary serviceman and members of information forces, person died during the protestation march connected parliament that began connected Sunday for a sit-in demonstration to request the merchandise of Mr Khan.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) enactment of Mr Khan, who has been successful jailhouse since past year, said 2 of its supporters person been killed and dozens injured successful clashes with the police.

The authorities imposed a strict lockdown of the superior for the last 3 days to artifact protesters from reaching the capital. All large highways and roads were blocked with shipping containers, factual barricades and information personnel. Mobile information was suspended successful immoderate areas.

The convoy of protesters connected Tuesday clashed with information forces and breached the gangly walls of the containers positioned astatine respective points to artifact them from reaching the D-Chowk, an intersection successful the bosom of the superior called the “red zone”.

The highly delicate country houses authorities buildings, the Supreme Court, parliament and embassies.

Security forces, which overtook the metropolis to support instrumentality and bid connected the orders of the government, fired teardrop state and rubber bullets astatine the marchers successful an effort to disperse them.

After the convoys entered D-Chowk, the interior ministry said the service had been deployed to support diplomatic missions successful the fortified portion country wherever galore authorities buildings and embassies are located.

It added that a curfew could beryllium imposed with paramilitary troops called successful to artifact the marchers.

Mr Khan’s woman Bushra Bibi, who has been starring the march on with his cardinal adjutant Ali Amin Gandapur, made her mode towards the D-Chowk successful a heavy guarded convoy which included a ample motortruck crammed with supporters. Mr Khan has called the march the “final call”.

It followed the Shehbaz Sharif government’s outrage implicit the deaths of instrumentality enforcement unit aft the troops were tally implicit by vehicles connected Monday. The authorities has blamed the marchers for moving implicit the troops connected a thoroughfare known arsenic Srinagar Highway successful Islamabad.

Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the fatal attacks connected Tuesday, saying an “anarchist group” was deliberately targeting instrumentality enforcement personnel, blaming the supporters of Mr Khan’s party.

“It is not a peaceful protest. It is extremism,” Mr Sharif said successful a statement, condemning the bloodshed arsenic being aimed astatine achieving “evil governmental designs”.

The PTI denied that protesters were progressive and said galore of them alternatively helped the Rangers.

It added that “paramilitary rangers changeable unrecorded ammunition” astatine its protesters successful Islamabad, starring to the decease of 2 radical and injuries to 4 others.

“Participants assertion they saw astatine slightest six radical being shot, 2 of whom died connected the spot and 4 were taken to hospital,” the enactment said connected X.

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.

Pictures from the country showed a partition of shipping containers erected to artifact the protesters from entering the capital. Columns of information unit successful riot cogwheel stood defender alongside main roads wrong the capital, bracing for a ample turnout.

Videos besides showed convoys of buses, cars and trucks carrying Mr Khan’s supporters, who chanted slogans and played music, passing done the blockades with containers lying strewn connected the ground.

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.

Police person arrested much than 4,000 of Mr Khan’s 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.