Supporters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan broke through numerous barricades to clash with police in the capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday, leaving at least six members of security forces dead. Led by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, protesters occupied D-Chowk, a large square in the city center, for several hours before retreating at dusk.
Bibi says the protests will continue until her husband — currently serving a three-year sentence on corruption charges he denies — is released. Khan, meanwhile, has urged supporters to “fight to the end” on social media.
It’s unclear where the protesters, many of whom came to the capital in large convoys, went as they dispersed on Tuesday. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who’s been in discussions with protest leaders, said he had suggested areas on the outskirts of Islamabad where protest rallies could be held as a compromise.
Nonetheless, more violence seems likely, and the government has invoked its power to deploy the army to quell public unrest. Naqvisaid police were “showing restraint” with protesters but warned that they were authorized to use deadly force if demonstrators again tried to cross into central Islamabad. Khan’s political party claims police have already used live rounds against protesters and that 12 of them have been injured.
