EPASupporters of jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan were pushed back by security forces after arriving in the heavily barricaded center of the capital earlier on Tuesday.
Convoys of opposition protesters have been marching towards D Chowk – or Democracy Square – in Islamabad since the weekend, demanding Khan’s release, among other actions.
At least six people were killed – four paramilitary soldiers and two protesters – as the march moved through the city, clashing with security forces at points.
However, some protesters advanced as far as D Chowk and were seen fighting over shipping containers placed to block their path.
But hours after protesters arrived at the square, security forces successfully cleared the area. As night fell, the lights went out – only a few police and paramilitary soldiers remained.
A nearby police officer said some protesters managed to get past the three-story stack of shipping containers but only got a few hundred meters before being pushed back.
However, thousands of Khan’s supporters remained in the area – to keep warm in the biting cold, protesters began burning paper and other materials inside trash cans. Many people even burned grass and bushes on footpaths and green belts, where large crowds gathered.
Muhammad Shahid, who came with his family from Punjab province, said they came here because of Imran Khan’s message: “He said we have to fight for our rights.”
“We are here to protect our fundamental rights,” he added. Imran Khan has been illegally arrested and we will fight to have our voice heard.”
EPAKhan, who has been in jail for more than a year on charges he says are politically motivated, urged his supporters not to give up – encouraging people to keep heading towards D Chowk.
The former prime minister said on X. “My message to my team is to fight to the end, we will not back down.”
Even behind bars, the former cricket star has proven to be a powerful figure in Pakistani politics. In February’s election, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which had been banned from running and forced to run candidates as independents, emerged as the largest bloc.
However, they failed to gain a majority and their opponents united to form a new government.
As a result, protesters also called for the election results to be overturned, which they said were rigged – a claim disputed by the government.
It was Khan who called on his supporters to take to the streets over the weekend, making a “final appeal” and asking them to stay in the capital until their demands were met.
The government – which had already imposed a ban on public gatherings – responded by blocking Islamabad’s streets with shipping containers and mobilizing police across the country.
Restrictions also appear to have been imposed on some internet services, while schools and colleges have closed over fears of violence.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister said protesters were offered an alternative location to protest but they refused.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who blamed protesters for the deaths of four soldiers on Tuesday, dismissed the march as “extremism”.
“These troublemakers do not seek revolution but bloodshed,” he said in a statement.
Zulfikar Bukhari, spokesman for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, told Reuters news agency that at least two protesters were killed – one shot and one run over by a vehicle.
At least 50 people were injured.
