Pakistani soldiers killed as protesters storm barricades to demand release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan Four members of Pakistan's security services were killed as thousands of supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan broke through government barricades and clashed with security forces in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that vehicles from a convoy of protesters ran over the paramilitary officers.

This is not a peaceful demonstration. This is extremism, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a separate statement issued by his office.

The protests were sparked by demands for Khan's release and the resignation of the federal government following what protesters call this year's rigged general election.

Protesters dismantled roadblocks, including shipping containers, set up on highways and roads to prevent their entry. The authorities, for their part, fired tear gas to try to disperse the demonstrators.

A protester approached police after tear gas was fired to disperse the crowd in Islamabad on Tuesday. Aamir Qureshi / AFP – Getty Images

Farooq Khan, who lives in Islamabad, told NBC News that the capital had become a battlefield.

We residents have been confined to our homes as all educational institutions and markets have been closed for three days, said Khan, who is not related to the former prime minister.

Imran Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, and a key aide, Ali Amin Gandapur, who is the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, led the march which headed towards the capital early on Tuesday, said his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party.

Urging the government not to harm protesters, Bibi asked his supporters to march peacefully to the red zone, where critical state institutions including the prime minister's residence and foreign embassies are located.

Khan, a former cricket icon, has been in jail for over a year. After being ousted by a vote of no confidence in Parliament in April 2022, he was sentenced to three years in prison for corruption. Then, in January, he was convicted of revealing official secrets and sentenced to another 10 years in prison.

He faces more than 150 other criminal cases, but he and his party remain popular.

Shipping containers were used to block protesters as they moved towards Islamabad.Muhammad Reza/Anadolu via Getty Images

He had earlier asked his supporters to stage a sit-in on a roundabout just outside Parliament, demanding his release and the reversal of recent constitutional amendments which they say weaken the power of the judiciary.

However, Pakistani security forces attempted to prevent the protests from reaching Islamabad.

On Monday, police fired tear gas canisters at protesters to prevent them from entering the capital.

It comes after a court last week banned rallies in the city, while police arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters and suspended mobile and internet services in parts of the country.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party uses messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information and relies heavily on social media platforms to share details of events. The X platform, banned in Pakistan, is no longer accessible even with a VPN.

Police fired tear gas to try to disperse the crowd. AAMIR QURESHI / AFP – Getty Images

Some PTI leaders held talks with the government on Monday as federal authorities proposed a designated area for the protest away from D-Chowk, a major square in the sensitive red zone.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Khan's party had rejected the government's offer to rally on the outskirts of the city.

Faced with growing security concerns, the government has called in army troops to strengthen the police and paramilitary presence, amid growing security concerns, particularly in the red zone.

The escalating tensions reflect a deeply polarized political environment in Pakistan.

Authorities say only the courts can order Khan's release. His party says the charges against him are politically motivated.

Mushtaq Yusufzai reported from Peshawar and Freddie Clayton from London.

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