Four members of Pakistan’s security forces were killed Tuesday as thousands of protesters demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan clashed with authorities in Islamabad. Defying roadblocks and tear gas, demonstrators armed with sticks and slingshots pressed within 10 kilometers of the government enclave, intensifying tensions in the capital.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused the protesters of extremism, stating that paramilitary Rangers were deliberately targeted on a city highway. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the violence, claiming the officers were run over by a vehicle, labeling the protest as “bloodshed disguised as revolution.” These clashes follow days of unrest, with another officer killed and nine critically injured amid the government’s heavy-handed crackdown.
The protests, led by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, are fueled by accusations of election rigging and opposition to constitutional changes increasing government control over courts. Khan, barred from February’s polls and imprisoned since August 2023, remains the focal point of the movement. While his supporters decry the government’s harsh measures, critics view the escalating unrest as a reflection of Pakistan’s deepening political crisis and mounting public frustration.
