Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), suspended street protests demanding his release from jail after a security forces raid led to the arrest of hundreds of people in Islamabad. The raid resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including four paramilitary soldiers and two protesters. The massive raid was launched in the dark, dispersing the protest gathering almost entirely and leaving debris and abandoned vehicles in the fortified red zone of the city.
The protesters had gathered in Islamabad following a convoy led by Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, breaking through multiple security lines. The PTI had planned to stage a sit-in until Khan’s release, but the party’s president for Peshawar announced the suspension of the protest. He stated that a new strategy would be devised after consultation.
The situation has led to cleanup efforts in the capital, with workers removing debris and clearing roadblocks. Bushra Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, both key allies of Khan, safely returned to the province. While the protest has been temporarily suspended, the party plans to regroup and come up with a new plan moving forward.
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