Police in Pakistan’s capital fired teargas on Friday as they clashed with supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan who were holding an anti-government rally in defiance of a ban on congregating in the city.
Authorities had sealed off Islamabad, and blocked cellphone services to prevent the gathering, with the city on high alert in the lead-up to a series of high-level diplomatic events, including a visit from the India foreign minister, scheduled over the next two weeks.
Shipping containers blocked entry points to Islamabad, guarded by large numbers of police and paramilitary troops.
However, dozens of Khan’s supporters evaded the blockades. Some, including the former premier’s sisters, were detained by law enforcement, Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and local media said.
“Release Imran! Release Imran!” dozens of protesters chanted, holding pictures of Khan and PTI flags, less than a kilometre from the city’s red zone, which houses the country’s parliament and a fortified enclave of foreign embassies.
It was the latest in a series of protest rallies since last month to press for Khan’s release and agitate against the ruling coalition, which the PTI calls illegitimate, saying it was formed after a fraudulent election.
“It is their right to hold a gathering, but this is not the right time or the way,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told journalists, pointing to diplomatic events in the capital.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was in Islamabad on Thursday and Friday while the city is also preparing to host a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on Oct. 15-16.
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