Pakistan's security forces have cleared supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from Islamabad following a major crackdown. Authorities lifted a four-day lockdown on the city and reopened roads that had been blocked to prevent protesters from reaching the capital, according to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
During the operation, hundreds of protesters were arrested, and thousands who had gathered to demand Khan's release were forced to leave. By Wednesday morning, workers were clearing debris and removing the shipping containers that had blocked roads.
Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023, faces over 150 charges, which he claims are politically motivated to stop him from running in upcoming elections. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), organized the protests to demand his release.
On Tuesday, Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, led a convoy of supporters that broke through security lines and reached the edge of Islamabad’s Red Zone, where important government buildings are located. This led to clashes with security forces, resulting in the deaths of four paramilitary soldiers. Later, the army took control of D-Chowk, a key area in the Red Zone where the protesters had gathered.
PTI's president in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Mohammad Asim, said the party would plan its next steps after consulting with leaders. He confirmed that Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had safely returned to the province.
Since Friday, police have arrested more than 4,000 of Khan's supporters, and mobile and internet services were temporarily cut off in some areas, but have now been restored.
The PTI claimed that police and law enforcers, including paramilitary Rangers, had opened fire on their protesters which killed 100 people. The government, however, said that law enforcers strictly used only rubber bullets and tear gas and that no live, lethal munitions were used and that several PTI supporters were armed with advanced small arms. The people allegedly killed could not be independently verified.