Imran Khan’s party calls off Islamabad protests following ‘massacre’, detentions

Violent protests in Pakistan’s capital by the supporters of jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, came to a halt Wednesday (Nov. 27) following a brutal police crackdown that left at least four people dead and over 50 injured.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party earlier said hundreds of its workers were killed during clashes with security personnel.

A spokesperson for the party said the protest had been called off after what he described as a 'massacre' by the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Local media reports said over a thousand demonstrators were detained after they descended upon Islamabad, pressing the government to release Imran Khan.

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Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the protest site Wednesday and informed the press that the protestors were cleared by Pakistan’s security forces. "I congratulate the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, Islamabad, Punjab, and Sindh police for their courageous role," Naqvi said.

Earlier on Tuesday, thousands of PTI protestors laid siege to Islamabad, led by Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, breaching several layers of security and managing to reach the edge of the city's highly fortified red zone.

Pakistani forces launched a brutal crackdown on PTI protesters overnight in pitch-dark central Islamabad. The security forces turned all lights off and exposed the protestors to intense shelling of tear gas.

Witnessesquoted by news agency Reuters said the red zone was completely cleared and only some vehicles could be seen at the protest site. A truck that was used by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, appeared charred in fire, claimed the witness.

PTI is now believed to be chalking out a new strategy following discussions with party leaders. As per reports, Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had reached safely to the provincial capital after they called off protests.

Gandapur later claimed, “Bibi and I were attacked directly.” The PTI also claimed hundreds of its workers had suffered gunshot wounds during chaotic scenes overnight in the heart of Islamabad.

(With inputs from agencies)