In Pakistan, violent clashes between police and demonstrators. Tens of thousands of Imran Khan supporters are demanding the release of the former Prime Minister, currently imprisoned. Arbitrary detention, according to a panel of UN experts. The procession of his supporters set off this Sunday and ended up reaching the capital on Tuesday where the violent clashes took place. Four paramilitaries have died according to the authorities and the situation is evolving rapidly.
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The images spreading on social networks bear witness to the scenes of violence taking place in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The demonstrators responded to repeated shots of tear gas and rubber bullets by throwing stones or sticks.
Barricades
The march towards the capital of the demonstrators of the PTI, the party ofImran Khancame up against the barricades hastily set up by the 20,000 police and paramilitaries deployed by the government. Stacked containers blocked access to D-Chowk, a central square in Islamabad, close to the authorities’ headquarters. But other images show demonstrators in the square, climbing on these containers. New proof that from his cell, Imran Khan, Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, remains a major player in Pakistani politics.
Gathering
His wife, just released from prison, called for a peaceful rally and galvanized her supporters to demand her husband’s release. But the authorities remain firm for the moment. Gatherings of more than four people are prohibited in several regions of the country, schools are closed in Islamabad. For the moment, negotiations between the authorities and Imran Khan’s party have yielded nothing.
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