What’s happening in Pakistan? Everything we know about clashes between Imran Khan supporters and police

Pakistan is erstwhile again successful the throes of large-scale violence arsenic the authorities launched a crackdown connected Imran Khan’s supporters who defied a lockdown to request his merchandise from jail.

Tensions gripped Islamabad since Sunday, erstwhile supporters of the erstwhile premier curate began a “long march” to the superior which helium described arsenic the “final call” for his merchandise from the jail wherever helium has been held for the past year.

Several radical person reportedly been killed arsenic information forces, who took implicit the superior connected Tuesday, clashed with protesters to artifact them from camping successful the bosom of the city.

The melodramatic scenes successful Pakistan coincided with a high-profile sojourn by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, whose two-day circuit was overshadowed by the violence.

What’s the latest?

War-like scenes emerged from the streets of the superior Islamabad wherever convoys of Mr Khan’s supporters converged from crossed the state contempt the dense subject presence.

To artifact the protesters from arriving successful the city, the authorities erected immense walls of shipping containers, placed factual barricades, and columns of information forces took complaint to support instrumentality and order.

However, each proved inadequate arsenic the convoys of protesters pushed their mode done the ringing of defence of shipping containers and dismantled roadblocks to scope the centre of Islamabad, D-Chowk, their last destination, wherever they intended to camp.

Patriotic songs blared from the vehicles of the protesters and immoderate danced successful beforehand of the slow-moving convoy portion raising slogans of “Revolution! Revolution!”.

Some chanted the slogan “Prisoner Number 804” successful notation to Mr Khan’s jailhouse ID and marched alongside trucks and cars displaying immense banners with Mr Khan’s face.

By precocious afternoon, immoderate of the convoys reached the D-Chowk and immoderate radical climbed atop the shipping containers arsenic the protesters outnumbered the information forces who tried to halt them by firing rubber bullets, slingshots and teardrop gas.

However, the forces launched a brutal crackdown precocious successful the nighttime and successfully pushed backmost the protesters, clearing the D-Chowk.

Mr Khan’s woman Bushra Bibi, who was starring the protestation with different stalwarts of the party, was besides connected her mode to the centre, however, she was evacuated by the workers of the enactment aft receiving the intel that her convoy would beryllium acceptable connected fire, Zulfi Bukhari, a spokesperson for Mr Khan’s party, said.

Reuters reported that the motortruck successful which Ms Bibi had been starring the protests appeared charred by flames. Mr Bukhari confirmed she was unhurt and taken to a harmless place.

Mr Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said a “massacre” unfolded successful Pakistan and the equipped forces fired unrecorded rounds, sidesplitting “hundreds of people” and galore injured with gunshot wounds. It did not springiness a fig arsenic to however galore were killed.

Government authorities person said six people, including 4 information personnel, a constabulary serviceman and a civilian, person died astatine the hands of protesters.

The protestation sites person since been cleared and a cleanable up thrust was launched arsenic PTI officials said they person temporarily called disconnected the protests.

“All roads are being reopened, and the demonstrators person been dispersed,” interior curate Mohsin Naqvi said.

Who called the protest?

Jailed person Mr Khan earlier past week issued a “final call” for a protestation successful Islamabad and urged his supporters to converge connected 24 November.

“November 24th is the time to interruption escaped from slavery. The regularisation of law, constitution, and quality rights are suspended successful Pakistan, forcing the federation to travel retired to protestation and marque sacrifice,” Mr Khan said successful a societal media station connected his X relationship tally by his aides.

In different societal media station passed connected done his aides, Mr Khan called connected his supporters to “fight until the past shot is bowled” and clasp peaceful rallies.

“We volition not backmost down until our demands are met,” a station said, accusing information forces of firing connected peaceful enactment workers.

“All protesting Pakistanis enactment peaceful, agreed and basal steadfast until our demands are met – this is the conflict for Pakistan’s endurance and existent freedom,” helium added.

Mr Khan remains enormously fashionable successful Pakistan and the jailed person has managed to successfully galvanise large-scale protests successful the state contempt remaining successful jailhouse since August.

The authorities had enactment the superior nether strict lockdown arsenic it prepared for protesters and invoked Article 245 of the constitution connected Tuesday, allowing a civilian authorities to telephone successful the service to assistance it instrumentality “law and order” domestically successful the concern of an interior crisis.

Why are they protesting?

One of the apical demands of Mr Khan’s PTI workers and supporters has been for his merchandise from jailhouse arsenic helium remains embroiled successful implicit 150 cases. They person besides demanded the merchandise of different PTI leaders who person been arrested successful the past 2 years.

Mr Khan has claimed that the cases against him person been politically motivated aft helium fell retired with the service and was ousted successful a no-confidence ballot successful 2022.

His wife, Ms Bibi, was besides jailed successful January this twelvemonth but released past twelvemonth aft the mates was acquitted connected unlawful matrimony charges.

They are demanding the ruling Shehbaz Sharif authorities to revoke the arguable changes to the constitution hastily approved by the parliament successful October.

The National Assembly of Pakistan rushed done the 26th amendment successful the constitution which gave powerfulness to the parliament to prime the Supreme Court’s main justice. The amendment which was approved successful a peculiar league connected a nationalist vacation connected Sunday drew outrage from the absorption enactment and the PTI called the amendment volition beryllium “suffocating a escaped judiciary”.

Mr Khan’s enactment has besides demanded the instrumentality of what helium has called a “stolen mandate” successful past year’s elections which were marred by allegations of wide ballot rigging and delayed results.

During the elections, Mr Khan and his PTI enactment were barred from contesting and candidates aligned with the enactment were forced to contention independently. They inactive won astir seats successful the parliament but not capable to signifier the government. The bequest parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), formed a authorities with Shehbaz Sharif arsenic premier minister.

Why is Imran Khan successful jail?

The erstwhile prima cricketer, 72, was premier curate from 2018 to 2022 earlier being ousted successful a no-confidence motion. He alleged that his ouster was orchestrated by Pakistan’s almighty service astatine the behest of the US. The service and the US denied the allegation.

Last year, helium was arrested on assorted corruption charges connected his mode to a hearing, triggering immense protests.

He has since been warring implicit 150 cases and has been handed convicted sentences successful several, including for 3 years, 10 years, 14 years and 7 years to beryllium served concurrently nether Pakistani law. However, galore of the cases person been overturned and the PTI enactment claims helium is being held illegally.