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Thousands of supporters of Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan have defied a lockdown, tear gas and widespread arrests to head to the capital on Monday to demand his release.
The leadership of Khan’s party went ahead with the “long march” even as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived for a three-day visit. He was received at an airport near the capital by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Authorities said at least one police officer was killed and several officers and demonstrators were injured in clashes. The marchers appeared determined to reach Islamabad, where the lockdown, which has been in place for two days, has disrupted daily life.
Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated.
A convoy of vehicles carrying protesters was expected to reach the capital later Monday. Security officials say they expect between 9,000 and 11,000 demonstrators, while the PTI says the number will be much higher.
Authorities said police were firing tear gas in an attempt to halt the marchers about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the city. Video on social media showed Khan supporters donning gas masks and protective goggles.
Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible. Ambulances and cars were seen turning back from areas along the key Grand Trunk Road highway in Punjab province, where shipping containers were used to block roads.
Video circulating online showed some protesters operating heavy machinery to remove the containers.
“We are determined, and we will reach Islamabad, though police are using tear gas to stop our march,” PTI senior leader Kamran Bangash told The Associated Press. “We will overcome all hurdles one by one, and our supporters are removing shipping containers from roads.”
Bangash also said Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who was recently released on bail in a graft case, will lead the march along with Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Khan’s party remains in power.
Almost 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Islamabad, Bibi, wearing a white head-to-toe burqa, addressed protesters while sitting in a truck, urging them to remain determined to achieve their goal and free Khan. She then chanted, “God is great” and left.
Khan’s main political opponent, Sharif, heads the current government.
Sharif’s spokesperson, Attaullah Tarar, said on Sunday that whenever any high-profile foreign delegation comes to Pakistan, the PTI “begins the politics of long marches and onslaught on Islamabad to harm the economy.”
Some economists say protests cause billions of rupees in damages to the country’s fragile economy.
Protesters on Sunday night burned trees as police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds. Khan supporters retaliated by using slingshots and pelting security personnel with rocks.
In a bid to foil the protest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns,” which the PTI said affected its call on social media for a protest. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested.
On Monday, Naqvi confirmed the killing of a police officer in clashes with Khan supporters.
Authorities say only courts can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case, in August 2023.
Khan has been sentenced in several cases. His convictions were later overturned on appeal but he cannot be freed due to other pending cases against him.
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Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
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