ADDS STATEMENT FROM MILITARY, OPPOSITION PARTY, AMNESTY, CHANGES DECK
By Islamuddin Sajid and Aamir Latif
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI (AA) - Protesters reached 'D-Chowk' square just over 100 meters from Pakistan's parliament in Islamabad amid clashes between supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, police and paramilitary rangers.
Several people were killed Tuesday in the protests, forcing the government to call in the army to restore law and order.
Videos posted on social media by Khan's supporters showed protesters celebrating their arrival in the "Red Zone," the point of the protest gathering announced by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, on the third day of protests that began simultaneously across the country.
Earlier, the government called in the army to restore law and order following reports of clashes and violence at the entrance to the capital.
Three paramilitary rangers and two police officers were killed in the violence, according to state-run Radio Pakistan, while the PTI claimed on social media that forces shot at 20 unarmed stalwarts, with the number of casualties increasing.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Gen. Asim Munir attended the funeral of three paramilitary force Rangers who were allegedly killed during protests Monday, in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, the military said in a statement.
“Pakistan cannot afford any chaos and bloodshed for achieving vested political purposes. These acts of violence are unacceptable and highly condemnable which are bordering the limits of restraint by the law enforcement agencies," Sharif said in remarks.
Security forces were seen warning protesters that no one would be permitted to enter D-Chowk or other government buildings, and demonstrators were asked to peacefully protest.
PTI leaders, including former Federal Minister Murad Saeed and party spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram, also urged workers to hold peaceful sit-in protests at D-Chowk.
Earlier, the main convoy comprising thousands of vehicles began the march Sunday from Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, and entered Islamabad early Tuesday.
- Opposition denies
Waqas Akram, the PTI’s secretary of information, denied the involvement of his party’s workers in the killings of security personnel, and demanded an “exemplary” punishment for perpetrators.
Amnesty International urged the government to “ensure the rights of protesters and immediately rescind the ‘shoot-on-sight’ orders that provide undue and excessive powers to the military.”
It also demanded the “immediate” release of those detained solely for “exercising their right to peaceful assembly.”
Thousands of people from across Pakistan have been marching toward Islamabad since late Saturday.
The protesters are being led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi.
"We have finally reached Islamabad and now are slowly moving to D-Chowk, where we will hold a peaceful sit-in," Liaqat Ali, advisor to Gandapur, told Anadolu.
D-Chowk is the main venue in front of Parliament House, which also connects to the President's House, the Prime Minister's House, and the Supreme Court.
The government has already declared the venue a "Red Zone," saying no protest will be allowed at the site due to the location of important buildings near the venue.
Bibi, however, said Monday that PTI workers will reach D-Chowk and hold a peaceful protest until Imran Khan's release.
The government has deployed the army in Islamabad to protect the city, as Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko also arrived late Monday for a three-day visit.
The army has been deployed to ensure security, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
Authorities have also slowed the internet, and social media is not working properly.
The military has also been authorized to impose a curfew in any locality it deems necessary to maintain law and order. The army has been ordered to take extreme measures, such as shooting rioters on sight, in case of a "deteriorating situation."
- Clashes on Islamabad roads
Early Tuesday, heavy clashes broke out between protesters and police inside and outside Islamabad when thousands of marchers reached the Islamabad Motorway interchange.
Video footage on television and social media showed police firing tear gas as members of the PTI party attempted to enter the city.
At least six security personnel have been killed since Monday during the protest as the government accused PTI members of attacking members of the armed forces, according to state-run media.
The PTI, however, rejected the claim and said paramilitary personnel were killed after being run over by a Pakistan Rangers vehicle.
The party also claimed that at least 20 protesters have been shot at by paramilitary forces, with the number of casualties rising.
It accused the government of firing on protesters from a helicopter. But no independent source could verify the claim to Anadolu, and the government completely rejected it.
Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the deaths and ordered the culprits who targeted the security personnel be identified and given exemplary punishment.
Information Minister Atta Tarar also claimed that the PTI brought some Afghan refugees to participate in the protest march, who also fired tear gas shells at police. He threatened to use force if PTI entered the "Red Zone."
Several international and domestic flights, meanwhile, are delayed and canceled at Islamabad International Airport as all routes toward the airport are closed.
Khan, the founder of the PTI, called for nationwide protest rallies and asked people to descend on the capital to take back the “looted” mandate in the wake of alleged poll rigging in the Feb. 8 general election, He also asked demonstrators to demand the release of political prisoners, revoking controversial changes in the South Asian nation’s judiciary.
The government denied any wrongdoing.
The government has closed educational institutions in Islamabad while all motorways and roads leading to the capital have been blocked as authorities placed thousands of commercial containers on the roads.
In many places, roads were dug up and trucks and heavy stones were placed on highways to block the rallies.
But protesters cleared the roads and continued their march.
Khan, 72, asked his supporters to reach Islamabad, camp there and not return home without the government giving in to the PTI’s demands.
The PTI has held dozens of nationwide rallies and demonstrations since Khan was ousted from power in April 2022.