Imran Khan's supporters reach heart of Islamabad, 6 security men killed in violence

Islamabad: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's supporters reached the heart of Pakistan's capital on Tuesday after removing barricades and battling police in clashes that killed six security personnel and injured dozens.

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 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”.

Geo News shared footage, which showed Khan's supporters 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.

It was unclear if the protesters would stage a sit-in or leave D-Chowk, though the top leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had vowed to remain in Islamabad until Khan was released.

Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, who stubbornly led the protests, said in one of her addresses to the protestors to go away only if Khan comes in person to tell about the next course of action.

They 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.

Led by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Khan's wife Bushra, the marchers began their journey from the militancy-hit province on Sunday.

Pakistan deployed the army amid a tense stand-off with Khan's supporters. The government has vowed to foil their attempt “even if a curfew needs to be imposed.” Hours earlier, the state-run Radio Pakistan said a vehicle rammed into Pakistan Rangers, 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.

Separately, Interior Minister Naqvi said, at a late Monday night media interaction, 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.

Radio Pakistan further 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 remained closed on Tuesday 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.