UPDATES WITH LATEST INFORMATION, EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Islamuddin Sajid
ISLAMABAD (AA) - Several security personnel and protesters were killed or injured during clashes as thousands of protesters pushing for the release of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday entered the capital Islamabad despite the government deploying army with "shoot at sight" orders.
The main convoy comprising thousands of vehicles began the march on Sunday from Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, and finally entered Islamabad on Tuesday morning.
Hundreds of 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 the KP chief minister, told Anadolu.
D-Chowk is main venue in front of the Parliament House which also connects to the President's House, the Prime Minister's House as well as Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The government has already declared the venue as "Red Zone," saying no protest will be allowed there due to location of all important buildings near the venue.
However, Khan's wife Bushra Bibi on Monday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers will reach D-Chowk and hold a peaceful protest there until Imran Khan's release.
The government has deployed army in the capital Islamabad to protect the city as Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has also arrived on Monday evening on a three-day visit to Pakistan.
The army has been deployed to ensure security, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
Authorities have also slowed down the internet and social media is not working properly.
The military has also been authorized to impose 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
On Tuesday morning, heavy clashes broke out between the protesters and police inside and outside Islamabad when thousands of marchers reached Islamabad Motorway interchange.
Video footage on TV and social media showed police firing teargas as members of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party attempted to enter the city.
According to state-run media, at least six security personnel have been killed since Monday during the ongoing protest as the government accused the PTI members of attacking members of the armed forces.
However, the PTI rejected the claim and said paramilitary personnel were killed after being run over by a vehicle of Pakistan Rangers.
The PTI also claimed that at least 20 protesters have been shot at by paramilitary forces with the number of casualties rising.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the deaths and ordered that the culprits who targeted the security personnel be identified and given exemplary punishment.
Meanwhile, several international and domestic flights were delayed and canceled at Islamabad International Airport as all routes towards the airport are closed.
Khan, 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, and demand the release of political prisoners, and revoking the controversial changes in the South Asian nation’s judiciary.
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, the 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 such nationwide rallies and demonstrations since Khan was ousted from power in April 2022.