Thousands rally in Pakistan's capital to demand ex-Premier Khan's release

KARACHI, Pakistan

Thousands of people rallied on the outskirts of Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Sunday to demand release of the country's incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) managed to hold a major rally in Islamabad for the first time since May 2023 as the government had refused multiple times to allow the party to organize public gathering in the capital despite court orders.

Sporting tri-colored caps and waving party flags, the protesters chanted slogans "long live Imran Khan", "release Imran Khan", "rigged elections unacceptable", and so on as the rally kicked off in an uneven and swampy ground on the capital's northern outskirt.

The PTI dubs the February general elections as "rigged", claiming it had actually won two-thirds of the constituencies. The country's top electoral body, the Election Commission of Pakistan, rebuffs the allegation.

Reports of clashes between the charged protesters and police at some points were also reported.

A spokesman for Islamabad police, in a statement, accused the protesters of pelting the police personnel with stones, injuring many of them, including a senior official.

Visuals aired on local broadcaster Samaa News showed the enraged activists throwing rocks at the riot police, that in return, hurled teargas shells to disperse the protesters.

Clashes were continuing till the last reports came.

Earlier, police blocked several entry points to the capital by placing containers and barricades, which the PTI claimed was an attempt to hold off the party workers from attending the rally.

The administration, for its part, contended it was part of a security plan to keep order.

Another footage showed dozens of party activists successfully pushing away containers to clear the way at one of the entry points to Islamabad.

Multiple video clips posted on the PTI's official X account also showed several convoys proceeding towards the meeting venue from different parts of northeastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

"Insha'Allah (God willing), we will soon achieve our goal, which is to secure Imran Khan's release," said Ali Mohammad Khan, a party leader and lawmaker, while addressing the rally.

Demanding Khan's "immediate" release, he said the party will continue its struggle to bring about "true" democracy in the country.

Khan, 72, is currently languishing in a jail in northeastern garrison city of Rawalpindi, seeking bail in multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism. He denies the accusations.

The courts have already set aside his two convictions, and suspended a third.

The former cricketing star was ousted through a no-trust vote in April 2022.