Pakistani army orders 'shoot on sight' against Imran Khan protesters

Islamabad:

As the situation worsened in Pakistan's capital Islamabad amid violent protests demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government asked the army to intervene. As a sea of ​​protesters filled the streets of Islamabad, clashes with police left at least four officers and one civilian dead.

According to a Bloomberg report, when the Pakistani military intervened, it issued “shoot on sight” orders under Article 245 – a clause intended for the armed forces “to defend Pakistan against external aggression or threat of war.” This clause also gives an open hand to the army since it nullifies any future judicial intervention or proceedings.

Local media in Pakistan also reportedly said the army's order directed soldiers to “spare no one.”

In Pakistan, protesters defied police warnings and demanded the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Tens of thousands of citizens from across Pakistan took to the streets of Islamabad with sticks, stones and catapults.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who served as prime minister for just over three years between 2018 and 2022, has for years been imprisoned and banned by the Pakistani establishment. Despite a large following in Pakistan, Mr. Khan is barred from running in elections. He is now accused of dozens of court cases ranging from cheating and corruption to vandalism and arson, and even accused of sedition and treason – all, he says, to trap him into preventing him from to return to politics.

Pakistan's elections, held in February this year, were marred by allegations of fraud by parties opposed to Imran Khan. Although Mr. Khan was not allowed to run in the election, his party contested the election.

Imran Khan's party won more seats than any other party in the election, but a coalition of parties seen as more pliable to military influence kept them out of power. The protest currently taking place in Islamabad has these two main demands: “Release Imran Khan” and overturn the allegedly rigged election results.

Imran Khan's party – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI – has defied all government crackdowns by holding frequent rallies across the country, showing its determination to oppose attempts to end its political career. The ongoing rally in Islamabad is the largest show of support for Imran Khan since his imprisonment in August last year. He has also been imprisoned several times before.

Although the protests were intended to be peaceful, they turned violent after a police crackdown in which four police officers and a civilian were killed and nearly a dozen people seriously injured.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blamed “disruptive elements” who “do not seek a revolution but rather seek bloodshed.” He added that “this is not a peaceful protest, this is extremism”, saying those who were killed were “hit by a vehicle”.

Islamabad has been under siege since Saturday and has since experienced total repression. More than 20,000 police officers and several columns of soldiers were called in with batons, guns, rifles, tear gas canisters and riot gear. The city was also fortified and several arteries leading to the government district were repressed. Cell phone connectivity was also cut off sporadically. Drones are also being used to monitor protesters. The government also imposed a two-month ban on all public gatherings, without declaring a state of emergency.

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