Authorities clamp down on protesters as Pakistan opposition party takes to streets

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistani authorities clamped down on protesters Friday as the main opposition party held rallies across the country.

Thousands of supporters of the incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), protested in cities including Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Swabi, Swat, Mardan, Dir, and other parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan provinces.

Videos on social media showed police using heavy tear gas and batons to disperse rallies in Punjab and Karachi, arresting dozens of Khan’s supporters. Protesters were seen throwing rocks at riot police.

The PTI is demanding the release of the jailed former prime minister, as well as “independence of the judiciary” and protection of the Constitution.

Khan, 72, is currently jailed in Rawalpindi and seeking bail in multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism, all charges he denies. Courts have already set aside two of his convictions and suspended a third. Since Oct. 3, Pakistani authorities have banned all communication and meetings with Khan, including visits from family members.

The former cricket star was ousted from power through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.

The ruling alliance is expected to propose controversial constitutional amendments in parliament on Saturday. The PTI claims that the government is blocking the senior-most Supreme Court judge from becoming Chief Justice, instead planning to appoint the top judge from a panel of three or five judges, which could undermine judicial independence.