Police officer killed and dozens injured in Pakistan riots

Serious unrest has broken out in and around the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. The police have clashed with supporters of former Prime Minister Khan, who are holding a protest march.

Dozens of people are injured. A police officer was also killed, according to regional authorities. Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested.

Thousands of people are marching to the capital to demand Khan’s release. The politician, who was a successful cricketer before his major role, is serving a year-long prison sentence for, among other things, corruption.

The authorities had already tied themselves up. The Supreme Court banned large gatherings last week and parts of Islamabad have been virtually shut down for two days. Internet and phone traffic is down.

A spokesman for the security services told the AP that more than 4,000 supporters of Khan’s PTI party have been arrested in recent days.

Disturbances also broke out near the town of Swabi, halfway along the march from Peshawar to Islamabad:

The parade, which started yesterday, has a central square, including the parliament building and the High Court as its destination. PTI reported that police attacked protesters with tear gas and baton.

According to the police, demonstrators throw stones at officers. At least fifty demonstrators and twenty police officers were reported injured.

Khan, 72, served as Prime Minister of Pakistan between 2018 and 2022. He was ousted after a vote of no confidence. Since his forced departure, he has been convicted several times for matters such as corruption and leaking state secrets. He himself says he is innocent. He is talking about the political situation.

His supporters regularly demonstrate against his detention. The authorities are taking strict measures against these demonstrations.