Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan's party calls off protest amid security operation
The party of Pakistan’s jailed former Premier Imran Khan announced Wednesday that it is calling off its protest after security forces launched a massive operation to dislodge Khan’s supporters who had stormed the capital Islamabad to demand his release.
According to PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram, the decision to call off the protest came after several party supporters were reportedly killed during a police crackdown. "Under orders from the oppressive regime, innocent PTI workers were brutally targeted, resulting in at least eight confirmed deaths," said Akram. He also assured the public that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, were unharmed.
Official records from Polyclinic Hospital, however, confirmed receiving two fatalities and 26 injured individuals.
The unrest began late Tuesday when security forces launched a forceful operation to remove Khan’s supporters from the capital. Television footage captured chaotic scenes as protesters fled while police and paramilitary personnel advanced, using tear gas to disperse the crowds. By Wednesday, many demonstrators had vacated Islamabad, though police reported the arrest of over 450 individuals involved in the unrest.
In a video statement, Gandapur, speaking from an undisclosed location, accused authorities of using excessive force against peaceful protesters. He promised to outline the party’s future course of action after consulting with Khan.
Meanwhile, police have indicated that their operation will continue as they believe hundreds of PTI workers remain in hiding within the capital.
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