At least four killed as ex-Pakistan PM Khan’s supporters enter Islamabad
Al Jazeera
Thousands clash with police as they force their way into capital to demand jailed ex-prime minister’s release.
Several members of Pakistan’s security forces are reported to have been killed as supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan forced their way into the capital, Islamabad.
Four security service personnel have been killed, the government said on Tuesday, as thousands defied a police lockdown, overcoming blockades and tear gas to enter the city. Supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have been demanding the ex-PM’s release ahead of a court hearing on terrorism charges.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said in a statement that four members of the security services were killed when they were rammed by a vehicle.
As protesters battled security forces and ignored a government threat to respond with gunfire, Sharif condemned the violence, saying, “It is not a peaceful protest. It is extremism.”
The march into Islamabad follows two days of clashes as protesters approached the capital. The city administration had imposed a two-month ban on public gatherings last week.
