Islamabad: Thousands of people are in the heart of Pakistan’s capital to demand the release of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan. He has been behind bars since August 2023 on charges that he and his supporters say are politically motivated.
Authorities have deployed thousands of security personnel to seal off the city, suspended phone services, used tear gas and threatened to fire live rounds. It’s the second time in as many months that the government has shut down Islamabad and mobilised massive resources to contain Khan’s supporters.
Four paramilitary personnel and two policemen have been killed and over 100 security personnel injured.
Cricket legend Khan can mobilise huge rallies and whip crowds into a frenzy with his claim that he was ousted from power in a conspiracy hatched by the US and his archrival, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif and Washington deny it.
Khan presents himself as an outsider victimised by the establishment. His opponents say he is a corrupt demagogue who incites violence. Although incarcerated on several charges, Khan has successfully used social media and even AI to communicate with people across Pakistan. And they turn out in droves, bringing cities to a standstill.
Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi is leading the march, adding a dynamism that was missing from previous protests. She was held in a high-security prison on graft charges until a few weeks ago, when she was released on bail.
Her presence in a convoy of vehicles, coupled with rare public addresses to adoring crowds, has been a huge factor in attracting supporters in her husband’s absence. The spiritual healer has been the driving force behind the latest protest, insisting that she lead it from the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Islamabad.