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Police in riot gear storm a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
Clashes have been reported in Pakistan after authorities blocked roads leading to the capital, where the challenging party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to hold a large rally to demand the removal of the government and an immediate general election. .
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
In the northeastern city of Lahore, police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of PTI members who had gathered at various points for the protest march.
Angry protesters threw stones and shed tear gas at police before many of them were arrested.
Police fire tear gas to disperse PTI supporters in Lahore [K M Chaudary/AP]
The government on Tuesday banned Khan’s planned rally in Islamabad after a policeman was allegedly killed by a PTI worker during police raids on the homes of party members.
The PTI claimed that more than 1,000 members had been arrested in night raids in northeastern Punjab province in an attempt to thwart the march.
‘At any cost’
Images broadcast on local news channels showed PTI supporters with sticks pulling barbed wire to advance with the march.
Authorities had placed dozens of containers on the main roads leading to the capital, about 270 km (170 miles) northwest of Lahore.
They have also deployed additional police and paramilitary troops on the roads and in Islamabad to stop the rally, with trailers parked on both lanes of traffic in various areas.
Khan began the march from the northwest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is ruled by his party. The former leader urged supporters, especially young people, to remove the barricades to reach Islamabad “at any cost.”
“I urge everyone to carry the Pakistan flag with them. This is a crucial moment,” the 69-year-old leader tweeted.
I would urge everyone to carry the Pakistan flag with them. This is a turning point today for Pakistan’s Haqiqi Azaadi. # حققی_آزادی_مارچ pic.twitter.com/RXUPKFyYgQ
– Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 25, 2022
Khan had already gathered PTI leaders and thousands of supporters in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. From there, his followers must cross a bridge on the border of the province that the government has blocked, before meeting on the outskirts of Islamabad.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Khan would be arrested if the protest continued.
In a report from Islamabad, Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder said he saw dozens of PTI workers being arrested “just outside our office.”
“There are reports of fighting in many Punjab cities among the police, even though the Pakistani constitution allows for peaceful protests, which is the fundamental right of citizens,” Hyder said.
“But the government seems to have been frightened and is overreacting despite the fact that there were court orders not to arrest or harass workers.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Supreme Court was about to hear a petition to remove the blockades in Islamabad.
Authorities say if Khan agrees to provide a written guarantee that his demonstration will be peaceful and limited to a public park, the government would consider lifting the ban.
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck [K M Chaudary/AP]
Khan was ousted last month after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament alleging that he was part of a US-backed conspiracy and a conspiracy with his successor Shehbaz Sharif, whose government has promised a stern response if Khan violates the ban.
The politician-turned-cricket legend calls for the dissolution of Parliament and new elections, which are otherwise scheduled for 2023. The government has rejected his demands.
Wednesday’s march has raised fears of major violence between Khan supporters and security forces in a nation already struggling with an economic crisis.
Khan lost power in part because of his failure to rectify Pakistan’s dire economic situation, including rising debt, declining foreign exchange reserves and rising inflation.
With foreign reserves falling to $ 10.3 billion, below the two-month import bill, a rapidly rising Pakistani rupee and double-digit inflation, the political crisis has exacerbated the country’s economic volatility.
Sharif, who replaced Khan last month, has yet to take bold steps to get the economy back on track.
Talks continue in Doha between the government and the International Monetary Fund to resume a $ 6 billion bailout package agreed in 2019, and are due to conclude on Wednesday.
Police surround a vehicle carrying PTI leaders and break its windshield in Lahore [K M Chaudary/AP]