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Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), suspended street protests demanding his release from jail following a midnight raid by security forces in Islamabad. The raid resulted in hundreds of arrests, as well as the deaths of at least six people, including four paramilitary soldiers and two protesters. The PTI party spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Protesters had gathered in Islamabad after a convoy led by Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, broke through multiple security lines and reached the red zone in the city. Security forces launched a massive raid in central Islamabad in the dark, dispersing the protest gathering with tear gas.
City workers were cleaning up debris and clearing containers that had blocked roads, while the heavily fortified red zone was emptied of protesters. The remains of a charred truck, from which Bushra Bibi had been leading the protests, were left behind.
The PTI had planned a sit-in protest in the red zone until Khan’s release, however, the party’s president for Peshawar announced that the protest had been called off. He mentioned that key allies, including Bushra Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, had safely returned to their province. The party plans to develop a new strategy after consulting with leadership.
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