The lockdown in the capital was lifted after protests, which forced their way into the city on Tuesday amid deadly clashes, ended.
Pakistan’s security forces have chased away supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan who were arrested in the capital Islamabad, following an overnight attack.
Authorities reopened roads linking the city to the rest of the country, ending a four-day lockdown, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Wednesday, confirming that the capital had been evacuated.
Security forces arrested hundreds of demonstrators during the operation and cleared the city center of thousands of people who had gathered to demand their release. politicianwho says these cases are political.
On Wednesday morning, city workers cleaned up debris and removed debris that had been used by authorities to block roads leading to the capital to prevent the march of protesters.
The march in the capital was called by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. They planned to move to free Khan, who has been jailed since August 2023 on more than 150 charges. The cricketer-turned-politician says the charges are designed to prevent him from returning. he protested elections this year.
Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, led the group that on Tuesday passed security lines that lead to the edge of the Red Zone, which houses government buildings and embassies.
More than 10,000 protesters to meet about 20,000 security forces are killed conflicts which killed several people, including four army soldiers.
Late on Tuesday, the army took over D-Chowk, the main square in the Red Zone where protesters had gathered.
The PTI has announced a “temporary suspension” of the protests, news agency Geo News said on Wednesday.
Mohammad Asim, PTI president in the northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa city of Peshawar, told Reuters that the party “will discuss the new strategy after a thorough discussion”.
He added that Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, a close ally of Khan, had returned “safely” to the province from Islamabad. The police are known to want Bibi’s arrest.
Police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended calls and internet work in other parts of the world. However, services have now been restored.
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