Supporters of jailed Imran Khan are pressing for his release and clashing with security forces in Islamabad

Supporters demanding the release of detained Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former prime minister, broke a ring of shipping containers blocking the entrance to the capital on Tuesday and clashed with security forces despite the government’s threat to respond with gunfire. 6 people lost their lives in violent incidents.

Thousands of security forces have descended on central Islamabad to quell protests in support of Khan that have engulfed the capital and surrounding areas since Sunday. The popular politician has been in prison for months and faces more than 150 criminal cases that his party says are politically motivated.

Officials say only courts can decide on the release of Khan, who is ousted in 2022 through a vote of no confidence In parliament. He has been detained since then first conviction in a corruption case In August 2023.

On Tuesday, the Pakistani army took control of D-Chowk, a large square in the Red Zone in downtown Islamabad where key government buildings are located and where Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stays. Paramilitary rangers and police were also present, and some fired warning shots into the air.

Still leading the protests, Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, slowly made her way towards the square in a heavily guarded motorcade, surrounded by well-wishers.

Security forces may use live fire

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi threatened that security forces would respond with live fire if protesters fired weapons at them.

“We have now allowed the police to take any decision depending on the situation,” Naqvi said later while visiting the square. he said.

Protesters Shahzor Ali said people were on the streets because Khan had appealed to them to be there.

Ali said, “We will stay here until Khan comes among us. He will decide what to do next.” “If they fire bullets again, bullets will be answered with bullets,” he said.

Police have so far used tear gas to disperse the crowd. The dead include four security guards and one civilian; They were killed when a vehicle hit them overnight until Tuesday.

‘Anarchist group’ targeting law enforcement officers: Prime Minister

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying that “an anarchist group” deliberately targeted law enforcement personnel. No one claimed responsibility for the crash. A police officer died separately.

Many people were injured, including journalists who were attacked by demonstrators. Dozens of Khan supporters beat a cameraman covering the protest for the Associated Press and took his camera. The person injured in the head was treated at the hospital.

Pakistani media mostly stopped filming and photographing the rally, focusing instead on security measures and the deserted streets of the city.

On Tuesday afternoon, new waves of protesters set out unopposed to their final destination in the Red Zone. Many of the demonstrators wore the flag of Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, on their shoulders or had its colors on their accessories.

Naqvi said Khan’s party rejected the government’s offer to meet on the outskirts of the city.

Khan’s wife ‘wants bloodshed’: minister

Information Minister Atta Tarar warned that the government would respond harshly to the violence. He said the government did not want Bibi to achieve his goal of freeing Khan. “He wants bodies to fall to the ground. He wants bloodshed,” he said.

Police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters and suspended mobile and internet services in some parts of the country since Friday in a bid to stem the unrest, and there has also been serious disruption to messaging platforms in the capital.

Khan’s party has relied heavily on social media to demand his release, using messaging platforms such as WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. X platform, which is banned in Pakistan, can no longer be accessed even with a VPN.

A court on Thursday banned demonstrations in the capital and Naqvi said anyone who violated the ban would be arrested. Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become almost impossible as shipping containers block the roads. All educational institutions will remain closed.