ISLAMABAD – Pakistani police have filed multiple charges against jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, his wife and others for inciting violence, officials said Thursday, after days of protests and clashes that left not less than six people dead and many others injured.
Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, led 1000’s of individuals from the country’s northwest to march on the capital Islamabad to demand the discharge of Khan, who has been in prison since August 2023. Khan already has greater than 150 cases against him, but supporters say they’re motivated by politically .
Bibi, a spiritual healer, fled when police raided town at midnight on Tuesday to disperse 1000’s of protesters. She was released from prison on bail on bribery charges when she led a protest within the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Authorities said police had arrested nearly 1,000 protesters in and around Islamabad since Sunday.
At least six people, including 4 security personnel, were killed by the vehicle, in accordance with Islamabad police, who blame the deaths on Khan’s supporters.
Police charged Khan, Bibi and others in Islamabad and town of Rawalpindi under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism law. The authorities accuse them of inciting people to attack security forces and disturbing the peace.
Khan has greater than 150 cases pending against him, but his political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) says it’s going to proceed to press for his release.
On Thursday, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told international media that Khan’s supporters “wanted to take over the capital” and that a few of them were carrying weapons. It was confiscated through the midnight raid, they said.
Iqbal said security forces used tear gas and batons to disperse the group. He rejected PTI’s claim that a few of Khan’s supporters were killed by police firing live bullets. He added that it was not a peaceful rally because protesters used weapons.
It’s yet one more turmoil that has rocked the country since Khan’s 2022 overthrow.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange lost greater than $1.7 billion on Tuesday because of political tensions, but recovered after Thursday’s session, crossing the 100,000 mark for the primary time. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the rebound was an indication of improving economic conditions.
