ISLAMABAD, Nov 26: Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s supporters, demanding his release from prison, reached the heart of Pakistan’s capital on Tuesday after battling police in clashes that killed six security personnel and injured dozens.
TV channels showed footage of Khan’s supporters facing tear gas and climbing on the shipping containers placed on the roads leading to D-Chowk, which is located close to several important government buildings: the Presidency, the PM Office, the Parliament, and the Supreme Court.
The top leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who led protesters from other parts of the country to Islamabad, have vowed to remain in the city until Khan was released from jail.
“Promise that you will not leave D-Chowk until Khan comes with us,” Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi told the party supporters.
Separately, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur asked his supporters not to go beyond D-Chowk until they get any orders from Khan. “D-Chowk means D-Chowk,” he said, referring to the destination announced by Khan.
He also asked the federal government to allow them to stage a peaceful sit-in and vowed that they would not return until Khan’s directives.
The 72-year-old former premier, who has been in jail since August last year, issued a “final call” on November 13 for nationwide protests on November 24, denouncing what he termed as the stolen mandate, the unjust arrests of people and the passage of the 26th amendment, which he said has strengthened a “dictatorial regime”.
Meanwhile, Islamabad police chief Ali Nasir Rizvi promised to drive miscreants out of Islamabad, saying he would ensure the implementation of the Islamabad High Court order to stop the PTI from staging rallies or stage sit-ins in the capital.
“No leniency should be shown to any miscreant,” he said, adding that the law enforcement agency will take action in line with the law.
Amid reports of heavy teargas shelling at protesters, party chairman Gohar Ali Khan has called upon the federal government to refrain from “firing at innocent people”.
He also urged his party workers to remain peaceful in their struggle.
Four paramilitary Rangers and two policemen were killed late Monday and over 100 security personnel injured when protesters marching towards D-Chowk turned violent, prompting the federal government to deploy the army in Islamabad along with shoot-at-sight orders, state-run media said on Tuesday.
The protesters reached their declared destination despite repeated claims by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi that nobody would be allowed to make it to D-Chowk.
Naqvi also said the government tried to convince PTI leaders in every way, but they only gained time from negotiations and moved towards the federal capital.
“We offered the protestors to gather at Sangjani. Their entire leadership does not want a bloodbath, but there’s one secret leadership controlling all this, which was the apple of the discord,” he said.
He also said that all PTI supporters had come from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Hours earlier, the state-run Radio Pakistan said miscreants rammed a vehicle into Rangers personnel, killing four personnel on the Srinagar Highway in Islamabad late on Monday night. Five other Rangers and several police officials sustained severe injuries.
About five kilometres from this spot, a bunch of miscreants, equipped with weapons and ammunition, pelted stones on the Rangers and carried out indiscriminate firing on the security personnel at Chungi No 26 in Rawalpindi, Radio Pakistan said.
It also reported that two policemen were killed but didn’t provide any details.
According to Punjab police, one policeman was killed at the Hakla interchange on Islamabad’s outskirts during clashes with the PTI protestors on Monday. It did not give details about the second policeman.
Interior Minister Naqvi said late Monday night that more than 100 security personnel, mostly from police, were injured. “One senior police officer was critically injured – he suffered a severe head injury — due to stone-pelting by protesters,” he said.
A case was registered under the anti-terrorism act against Khan and his party leaders on Tuesday over their alleged role in the killing of the police officer during the protest march.
Radio Pakistan reported that the Pakistan Army was called in “to deal with the miscreants with an iron hand” and “clear orders have also been issued to shoot miscreants and troublemakers on sight.”
Strongly condemning the attack on Rangers and police personnel by protesters, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement, directed to immediately identify those involved in the incident and ensure they are brought to justice.
“Attacks on police and Rangers, under the guise of a so-called peaceful protest, are condemnable,” he said, adding, that the anarchist group seeks bloodshed and “Pakistan cannot afford any form of chaos or bloodshed. Bloodshed for nefarious political agenda is unacceptable and highly condemnable.”
Meanwhile, Khan’s party has accused the authorities of using violence in which several of its supporters have been injured. A party spokesman told BBC Urdu that two supporters have also been killed but it was not confirmed from other sources so far.
All public and private educational institutions will remain close on Wednesday also given the law and order situation both in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Khan has been implicated in dozens of cases since his government was dismissed through a no-confidence motion in 2022. He has been in Adiala Jail at Rawalpindi since last year facing over 200 cases.
His party won the largest number of seats in the February general elections despite contesting as independents as the party was denied an election symbol. The party founder has alleged that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its coalition partners, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), had “stolen the mandate” to grab power at the federal level. (PTI)
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