Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), suspended its street protests demanding his release from jail after a midnight raid by security forces in Islamabad, which resulted in hundreds of arrests, local media reported on Wednesday.
Geo News, citing a PTI statement, reported that the party had announced a “temporary suspension” of the protest, during which at least six people, including four paramilitary soldiers and two protesters, were killed.
Thousands of protesters had gathered in central Islamabad on Tuesday after a convoy led by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, breached several lines of security, reaching the edge of the capital’s heavily fortified red zone.
Security forces launched a large-scale operation in central Islamabad, where power was cut off and teargas was fired to disperse the crowd. By the early hours of Wednesday, the protest was largely dismantled.
City workers were seen clearing debris and removing shipping containers that had blocked roads. The red zone, once occupied by protesters, was now empty, though several vehicles were left behind, including a truck, once used by Bushra Bibi to lead the protests, which appeared to have been scorched by flames.
PTI had originally planned a sit-in in the red zone until Khan’s release. However, PTI’s president for Peshawar, Mohammad Asim, confirmed that the protest had been called off.
“We will develop a new strategy after proper consultation,” Asim told Reuters.
Bushra Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, a key ally of Khan, had returned “safely” to their province after the raid.
Pakistan’s benchmark share index .KSE rose more than 3% in early Wednesday trading, recovering losses from Tuesday, when the index closed down 3.6% amid the political unrest.
(REUTERS)
