ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi voiced optimism for normalcy in Islamabad early Wednesday as former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s supporters withdrew following intense clashes with police and paramilitary Rangers, with his party claiming at least eight protesters were killed.
The unrest unfolded as police and Rangers launched an operation to disperse Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protesters who aimed to stage a sit-in near parliament and key government installations, demanding the release of Khan, who has been in prison for over a year.
Led by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, the protest march began on November 24 with a “final call” by the ex-premier to his supporters, with many of them vowing not return until Khan was freed.
Speaking to the media, Naqvi said the protesters had fled, adding that Bibi and Gandapur were also “on the run.”
“You saw them fleeing— thousands, not just one or two or three,” he said, referring to the protesters.
“For us, the most important thing is to restore all the roads in Islamabad that were blocked. Reopen mobile phone and Internet services. By tomorrow, you will find the roads operational,” he added.
Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi (C) visits the red zone after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's protest to demand the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad on November 27, 2024. (AFP)
Naqvi praised the Rangers for their “amazing performance” and urged Khan’s party to reconsider its approach.
“How many times do you intend to repeat such actions,” he asked. “Please, stop now. Today alone, the stock exchange dropped by 3,500 points. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring a new day with a fresh perspective.”
In a separate news conference, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the PTI of suffering a “major political failure,” saying their leaders came to free Khan but ended up with many of their workers arrested.
“This wasn’t a final call,” Tarar remarked. “It was a missed call.”
“This has become a major political failure for them because their intentions were not right,” he continued. “They have suffered significant losses and will not be able to recover from this.”
Tarar further alleged that PTI’s protest aimed to disrupt the visit of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is on a three-day visit to Islamabad, and damage the country’s economy.
“Their schemes have been reduced to dust,” he added.
PTI Alleges ‘Massacre’
Meanwhile, PTI accused the government of using excessive force against its supporters. In a strongly worded social media post, the party described the crackdown as a “massacre” by the state.
“A massacre has unfolded in Pakistan at the hands of security forces... firing live rounds with the intent to kill as many people as possible. Pakistan is experiencing its darkest hour since the massacre in East Pakistan in 1971,” the party wrote.
The PTI claimed “dozens” of its supporters were killed in a separate statement, adding it had identified eight victims so far.
At least six people, including four paramilitary soldiers, were reported to have died before the Tuesday night raid was launched.
In an appeal to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, the party called for suo motu action and murder charges against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the interior minister, and police chiefs in Islamabad and Punjab.
“Dozens of unarmed and innocent workers were shot dead on the orders of the fascist regime,” the PTI said in its statement.
It added that the party planned to review the situation with its leadership, including Khan, to decide on its next steps.
None of the PTI statements share the current status and location of Bibi and Gandapur. However, some media reports said they had safely reached Mansehra after leaving Islamabad when the security force’s operation began.
A day earlier, Amnesty International urged the Pakistan government to ensure the rights of protesters and rescind alleged “shoot-on-sight” orders.
“The severe restrictions on assembly, movement, and mobile and Internet services, as well as arbitrary detentions of thousands of protesters across Pakistan, particularly in Islamabad, are a grave violation of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, movement, and expression,” the organization said on X, formerly Twitter.
