Seven killed and dozens hurt as Imran Khan supporters clash with security forces in Pakistan
Source: The Guardian
Seven killed and dozens hurt as Imran Khan supporters clash with security forces in Pakistan
Up to 100,000 people broke through barriers in locked-down Islamabad to demand Khan’s release from prison
Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi and Shah Meer Baloch in Islamabad
Tue 26 Nov 2024 12.05 GMT
First published on Tue 26 Nov 2024 00.18 GMT
At least seven people have been killed and dozens injured in Pakistan as thousands of supporters of the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan forced their way through security barriers and entered the capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday morning.
Authorities have enforced a security lockdown in the capital for the last three days after Khan called for supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to march on parliament for a sit-in demonstration to demand his release.
By Tuesday morning, upwards of 50,000 of Khan’s supporters had broken through the heavily fortified barriers and entered Islamabad, where they marched toward the “red zone”, an area in the centre of the capital where the parliament, supreme court and prime minister’s office are located. The area resembled a fortress of barriers, shipping containers and police personnel in riot gear.
The protesters were led by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who was recently released from prison, and Khan’s key aide, Ali Amin Gandapur, who is the chief minister of the PTI stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Tens of thousands more were expected to join from neighbouring Punjab and Rawalpindi.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/26/pakistan-violence-death-toll-imran-khan-supporters-clash