Everything we know about the clashes between police and supporters of Imran Khan in Pakistan

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Pakistan is once again gripped by large-scale violence as the government launched a crackdown on Imran Khan's supporters who defied the lockdown to demand his release from prison.

Tensions have gripped Islamabad since Sunday, when the former prime minister's supporters began a long march to the capital, which he described as the final call for his release from the prison where he has been held for a year.

Several people were reportedly killed as security forces, who took control of the capital on Tuesday, clashed with protesters to prevent them from camping in the heart of the city.

The dramatic scenes in Pakistan coincided with a high-profile visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, whose two-day tour was overshadowed by the violence.

What is the last one?

Scenes of war emerged on the streets of the capital Islamabad, where convoys of Mr Khan's supporters converged from across the country despite the heavy military presence.

To prevent protesters from arriving in the city, authorities erected huge walls of shipping containers, placed concrete barricades and columns of security forces took charge of maintaining order.

However, all this proved insufficient as convoys of protesters pushed their way through the shipping container defense ring and dismantled roadblocks to reach central Islamabad, D-Chowk, their destination final, where they intended to camp.

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View of a damaged vehicle after security forces launched an operation to disperse supporters of jailed former leader Imran Khan (EPA)

Patriotic songs rang out from the demonstrators' vehicles and some danced in front of the slow convoy chanting Revolution slogans! Revolution!.

Some chanted the slogan Prisoner Number 804 in reference to Mr Khan's prison ID card and marched alongside trucks and cars displaying huge banners with Mr Khan's face.

By late afternoon, some convoys reached D-Chowk and some people climbed onto shipping containers as protesters outnumbered security forces who attempted to stop them by firing bullets into rubber, slingshots and tear gas.

However, the forces launched a brutal crackdown late in the night and managed to push back the protesters, evacuating the D-Chowk.

Mr Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, who led the protest with other party stalwarts, was also on her way to the However, she was evacuated by party workers after receiving information that her convoy would be set on fire. , said Zulfi Bukhari, spokesperson for Mr. Khan's party.

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Motorcyclist drives through damaged vehicles left by Khan's supporters (AP)

Reuters reported that the truck in which Ms Bibi led the protests appeared to be charred by flames. Mr Bukhari confirmed that she was not injured and had been taken to a safe place.

Mr. Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that a massacre had taken place in Pakistan and the armed forces had fired live bullets, killing hundreds of people and sustaining many gunshot wounds. He did not give a figure on the number of deaths.

Government authorities said six people, including four members of the security forces, a police officer and a civilian, died at the hands of protesters.

The protest sites have since been emptied and a clean-up campaign launched, with PTI officials saying they had temporarily called off the protests.

All roads have reopened and protesters have been dispersed, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said.

Who called for the demonstration?

Jailed leader Mr Khan last week issued a final call for a protest in Islamabad and urged his supporters to converge on November 24.

November 24 is Liberation from Slavery Day. The rule of law, constitution and human rights are suspended in Pakistan, forcing the nation to protest and make sacrifices, Mr. Khan said in a social media post on his X account run by his collaborators.

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A rally truck used by Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Kha (AFP via Getty Images)

In another social media message through his aides, Khan called on his supporters to fight until the last ball is played and to hold peaceful rallies.

We will not back down until our demands are met, said an article accusing security forces of shooting at peaceful party activists.

All protesting Pakistanis remain peaceful, united and steadfast until our demands are met. This is the struggle for survival and true freedom of Pakistan, he added.

Mr Khan remains hugely popular in Pakistan and the jailed leader has managed to galvanize large-scale protests in the country despite remaining in prison since August.

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People use alternative routes to leave the city after highways and highways are blocked (EPA)

The government had placed the capital under strict lockdown as it prepared to welcome protesters and invoked Article 245 of the constitution on Tuesday, authorizing a civilian government to call on the army to help enforce the law and order at the national level in a situation of internal crisis.

Why are they protesting?

One of the main demands of Mr Khan's PTI workers and supporters has been his release from prison, as he remains involved in over 150 cases. They also demanded the release of other PTI leaders who were arrested in the last two years.

Mr Khan claimed the case against him was politically motivated after he fell out with the military and was ousted in a 2022 no-confidence vote.

His wife, Ms Bibi, was also jailed in January this year, but released last year after the couple were acquitted of charges of illegal marriage.

They are demanding that the Shehbaz Sharif government reverse controversial constitutional amendments hastily approved by parliament in October.

Pakistan's National Assembly hastily passed the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, which gives Parliament the power to choose the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The amendment which was approved in a special session on a public holiday on Sunday sparked outrage from the opposition party and the PTI said the amendment would stifle a free judiciary.

Mr Khan's party also demanded the return of what it called a mandate stolen from last year's elections which were marred by allegations of widespread electoral fraud and delays in results.

In the elections, Mr Khan and his party, the PTI, were barred from running and candidates aligned with the party were forced to run independently. They still won most of the seats in Parliament, but not enough to form the government. Former parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) formed a government with Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister.

Why is Imran Khan in jail?

The former star cricketer, 72, served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022 before being ousted in a no-confidence motion. He claimed his ouster was orchestrated by Pakistan's powerful military at the behest of the United States. The military and the United States have denied the allegation.

Last year, he was arrested on various corruption charges while on his way to a hearing, sparking huge protests.

Since then, he has fought more than 150 cases and been sentenced to terms of three years, 10 years, 14 years and seven years to be served concurrently under Pakistani law. However, many cases have been quashed and the PTI party claims he is being detained illegally.

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