Jailed ex-Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan has urged his supporters to “fight till the end” as security forces crack down on protesters calling for his release.
A post on Khan’s X account said, “We will not back down until our demands are met,” accusing security forces of firing on peaceful party workers.
“All protesting Pakistanis stay peaceful, united and stand firm until our demands are met – this is the struggle for Pakistan’s survival and true freedom.”
Imran Khan
Thousands of Pakistani protesters demanding the release of the jailed former Prime Minister forced their way through security barriers and defied a lockdown to enter the capital, Islamabad.
The demonstrators from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, many wielding slingshots and sticks, clashed with security forces on Tuesday and some were able to reach a central square – D-Chowk.
However, Security forces used live fire and tear gas at supporters of Imran Khan who managed to reach D-Chowk in Islamabad’s Red Zone, where most government buildings are located.
The protesters demand that the “stolen mandate” of the April general elections must be returned, the 26th constitutional amendment be revoked and their leader, Imran Khan, be released, as well as all other political prisoners.
Last month, Pakistan’s government passed the 26th constitutional amendment to give legislators more power in appointing the top judge of the Supreme Court in a move critics said was aimed at undermining the independence of the courts.
Post-amendment, the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice will now be selected by a parliamentary committee and will have a fixed term of three years. Previously, the legislature had no role in the appointment of the chief justice, and it was based on seniority.
New groups of senior judges will also be created to weigh exclusively on constitutional issues – an issue that was at the core of recent disputes between the government and the PTI in the Supreme Court.
Imran Khan and his party have demanded the amendment be reversed, calling it “akin to suffocating a free judiciary.”
So far, at least six people have been killed in clashes between Khan’s supporters and security forces.
The PTI convoy, which departed from Peshawar on Sunday, is led by Bushra Bibi, former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife, along with Ali Amin Gandapur, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister.
Political Solution Only Way Out
Michael Kugelman, Director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, opined that the intensity of the ongoing demonstrations underscore Khan’s strong hold over his large base.
He asserted that a political solution, “one with negotiations and concessions, is the only way out of this crisis.” He added, “But this is an especially bitter and personal confrontation between two sides taking maximalist positions on everything.”
Meanwhile, Amnesty International urged the Pakistani authorities to “exercise maximum restraint” in dealing with protesters in Islamabad and called for de-escalation.
The international rights group said in a post on X, “The government must fully protect and ensure the rights of protesters and immediately rescind the ‘shoot-on-sight’ orders that provide undue and excessive powers to the military.”
“Any use of force must be lawful and no more than is necessary and proportionate and the authorities must take all necessary measures to prevent arbitrary deprivation of life, including by ensuring that law enforcement actions are adequately planned to minimise the risk to life.”
Amnesty International
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