Nearly 1,000 arrested as Pakistan protests intensify over demand for Imran Khan's release | Pakistan News

Pakistani authorities have arrested nearly 1,000 supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan after storming the capital this week to demand his release, the city's police chief said Wednesday.

Khan's aides said hundreds of people were shot and injured during chaotic overnight scenes in central Islamabad as police dispersed protesters, led by Khan's wife, who broke through the security barricades, the Reuters news agency reported. They did not provide immediate evidence to support the claim, but added that thousands of people had been arrested.

Islamabad police chief Ali Rizvi denied that live ammunition was used in the operation, carried out in collaboration with paramilitary forces. Rizvi said 600 protesters were arrested during Tuesday's operation, bringing the total number of arrests in the past three days to 954. He added that weapons, including automatic rifles and tear gas guns, were used. were seized from the protest site, where thousands of people had gathered, and were cleared within hours.

Ali Amin Gandapur, a top aide to Khan and chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, who participated in the protests and fled at the start of the operation, accused authorities of using excessive force against what he described as “peaceful protesters”. He said “hundreds” were shot and injured.

Pakistan's information minister and an Islamabad police spokesman did not respond to requests for comment on allegations that hundreds of people had been shot dead by security forces. Gandapur told a news conference in Mansehra in his province that he and Khan's wife, Bushra Khan, had been directly attacked. Bushra Khan, who led the protesters, escaped unhurt. Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced that the sit-in protest demanding Khan's release had been called off due to what it called a “massacre.” However, Gandapur insisted that the protest would continue until Khan himself ordered it to end.

Six dead in previous clashes

At least six people, including four paramilitary soldiers and two protesters, were killed during protests that began on Sunday, before clashes overnight. Visiting the protest sites on Wednesday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistani law enforcement agencies had successfully evacuated protesters from the sit-in and surrounding areas of the capital. He called on the PTI to provide any evidence of live ammunition being fired by security forces and noted that the party had not provided details of the deaths of its supporters.

Geo News and ARY News reported that security forces raided the protest site in the dark, where the lights had been turned off and a barrage of tear gas was fired. The protesters were almost completely dispersed, according to reports. On Wednesday, city workers were clearing debris and removing shipping containers that had been used to block roads around the capital. The Red Zone, which houses Parliament, the diplomatic enclave and other key buildings, was free of protesters, although several of their vehicles were left behind, including a truck used by Bushra Khan, which appeared to have been set on fire .

The PTI had planned to stage a sit-in in the red zone until Khan's release. He has been in prison since August last year.

Pakistan's benchmark stock index jumped over 5.21 percent in intraday trade on Wednesday, recovering from a 3.6 percent loss the previous day due to political unrest. The market's strong rebound was driven by hopes that political stability would restore investor confidence, according to Tahir Abbas, head of research at Arif Habib Limited.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos