Pakistan’s army has been ordered to “shoot at sight” after four soldiers and at least one protester were killed in clashes with protesters, according to reports.
The violence erupted when protesters demanding the release of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan entered the capital Islamabad late on Monday, defying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government’s efforts to suppress nationwide protests.
The television network reported that four paratroopers were “martyred” and that the army was deployed under Article 245 and authorized to “shoot at sight”.
Zulfi Bukhari, a spokesman for Khan’s political movement, said one of the marchers was killed and 20 others were injured as officers confronted the protesters.
Officials did not immediately comment on Bukhari’s statement, but earlier on Monday he blamed the unrest on Khan’s supporters and said one police officer had been killed and more than 119 people were injured.
The largest convoy, led by aides of the former prime minister from northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, cleared roadblocks on the highway to Islamabad as authorities tried to disperse them with tear gas, according to Pakistani government officials. Did.
Authorities had earlier said hundreds of Khan’s followers were arrested in protests and clashes in several cities. According to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, those injuries included gunshot wounds.
The march began on Sunday at Khan’s encouragement. He remains in custody despite courts granting him bail or suspending sentences in some cases against him.
Former cricket star Khan has been in jail for more than a year. He faces more than 150 cases ranging from corruption to inciting violence and abuse of power during his tenure as Prime Minister.
According to a notice from the local administration, all educational facilities in Islamabad were closed due to security reasons. The government has also suspended mobile phone services in some areas and banned gatherings of more than five people in the capital.
Dozens of officers were injured in Islamabad, including two seriously, and vehicles were set on fire by protesters, Interior Minister Naqvi told reporters on Monday after attending the funeral of a policeman.
He indicated in a subsequent briefing that he intended to hold Khan directly accountable, saying, “Those who called for the protest and supported it are responsible for the casualties among the policemen.” Naqvi also said authorities would arrest protesters who tried to approach the capital’s so-called Red Zone, where top government offices and Parliament, as well as the president’s and prime minister’s residences and embassies, are located.
Punjab province police chief Usman Anwar told reporters that 119 policemen were injured in several incidents in the area, which is just south of the capital.
The latest protests are a challenge to Sharif’s government, which has tried to focus on restructuring and reforming the country’s weak economy under a loan and reform program managed by the International Monetary Fund.
According to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, the government estimates the economy is losing about Rs 144 billion ($518 million) per day due to the unrest.
In addition to his release, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party wants Sharif’s government to overturn a new law which they say gives the government the power to interfere in judicial matters.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
