ISLAMABAD (AP) — Supporters seeking the release of imprisoned Pakistani former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday broke through a ring of shipping containers locking down the capital, Islamabad, while at least six people have died in protest-related violence. Protesters battled security forces and ignored a government threat to respond with gunfire.
The dead included four members of the security services and one civilian who were killed when a vehicle rammed them on a street. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the attack on Tuesday, saying an “anarchist group” was deliberately targeting law enforcement personnel. There was no claim of responsibility for the ramming. A police officer died in a separate incident.
Thousands of security forces have poured into central Islamabad. Pakistan's army took control of D-Chowk, a large square in downtown Islamabad’s Red Zone, which is an area that houses key government buildings and is the destination of the protesters. Paramilitary rangers formed the next layer of deterrence at the site and police made up a third. Rangers urged everyone to leave the area, including journalists, and fired warning shots into the air.
Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, headed toward D-Chowk in a heavily guarded convoy which included a large truck crammed with supporters. The convoy, comprising scores of vehicles, passed slowly along Jinnah Avenue and was surrounded by well-wishers.
“We have now allowed police to take any decision according to the situation,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said while visiting the square.
Earlier, Naqvi threatened that security forces would respond with live fire if protesters fired weapons at them.
Visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was staying in the Red Zone as part of his official trip.
One protester, Shahzor Ali, said people were on the streets because Khan had called for them to be there. "We will stay here until Khan is among us. He will decide what to do next,” Ali said.
“If they again fire bullets, the bullet will be responded with the bullet,” he said.
Police are using tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds. Scores of people have been injured, including journalists who were attacked by demonstrators. Dozens of Khan supporters beat a videographer covering the protest for The Associated Press and took his camera. He sustained head injuries and was treated in a hospital.
Pakistani media have mostly stopped filming and photographing the rally, instead focusing on the security measures and the city's deserted streets.
Protesters were closing in on the Red Zone. Naqvi said Khan’s party rejected a government offer to rally on the outskirts of the city. By Tuesday afternoon, fresh waves of protesters were making their way unopposed to the rally site. Most had the party flag around their shoulders or wore its tricolor on accessories.
Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated.
Authorities say only courts can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case, in August 2023, and has been sentenced in several other cases.
Khan's wife Bibi, who is leading the protest, told people to keep marching toward the Red Zone peacefully. She said another plan of action would be conveyed to protesters if Khan was not released. She also urged the government not to harm the demonstrators.
In a bid to foil the protest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services in some parts of the country. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested.
Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible because of shipping containers blocking the roads. All educational institutions remain closed. Mobile internet services and messaging platforms were experiencing severe disruption in the capital.
The PTI relies heavily on social media to demand Khan's release and uses messaging platforms such as WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. The X platform, which is banned in Pakistan, is no longer accessible, even with a VPN.
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Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this report.
