Day after operation, Khan’s close aide claims PTI’s sit-in ‘still ongoing’

As Islamabad returns to normalcy following a crackdown by Pakistan’s security forces against supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, a key ally of Khan, claimed the protest is still ongoing.

Thousands of protesters had flooded Islamabad since the weekend, responding to Khan’s call to challenge his exclusion from February’s elections, which he alleges were rigged to block his return to power.

The government deployed hundreds of security personnel to the capital, clashing with demonstrators attempting to occupy a public square near the parliament and the prime minister’s residence.

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In a late-night operation, police and paramilitary forces used tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters armed with sticks and slingshots. Fires broke out as roadblocks were set ablaze, intensifying the chaos.

“This sit-in is under Imran Khan’s authority, and it will only end when he says so. This sit-in is a movement, and it will continue,” Gandapur declared during a press conference in Mansehra, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) holds power.

Initially, PTI had announced that Bushra Bibi, Khan’s wife, would join Gandapur at the press conference, but she was absent. Instead, Omar Ayub Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, accompanied Gandapur.

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“Let me clarify: if violence had not been committed against us, our people wouldn’t have retaliated. When a police officer came, our workers protected him because they are our brothers too. These people are forcing them [police] to do wrong,” Gandapur said.

He alleged that both he and Bushra Bibi, who was leading the protest march to Islamabad, faced an assassination attempt while trying to return to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Bullets were fired at me. Bushra Bibi was with me. She was also attacked because she was with me. Measures were taken to assassinate, abduct, and block the way of a chief minister entering his province. We will bring all this to light in due course,” he added.

In a pointed reference to Pakistan’s military, Gandapur said, “Due to their mistakes, Pakistan once broke apart, and those mistakes are still being repeated. You are compelling us to adopt your ways, and if we do, you will forget Bangladesh.”

He insisted that PTI had no choice but to protest. “We announced a rally and made a peaceful call… We said we would go to D-Chowk peacefully to protest and wouldn’t proceed further. But our workers were subjected to violence despite the fact that we’re only asking for our legitimate rights.”

Bushra Bibi, wife of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, and supporters of Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) attend a rally demanding his release, in Islamabad, Pakistan, November 26, 2024. Reuters

'Hundreds killed'

Gandapur claimed that hundreds of PTI supporters were killed and many others injured during the clashes.

“We were proceeding peacefully, but they placed obstacles in our path and opened fire on us. There is no precedent for this in the history of the world,” he concluded.

Police had earlier said no lethal arms were used in Tuesday night's operation and that hundreds of protesters had been arrested.

The press conference coincided with the restoration of normalcy in the capital. Authorities cleared the main thoroughfares leading to Islamabad’s government enclave.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) completed a cleanliness drive early in the morning, removing debris such as scattered clothes, shoes, and other belongings left behind by protesters in the Blue Area and D-Chowk, two of the most affected zones. However, abandoned vehicles with broken windows and damaged doors remained scattered in various locations.

PTI had initially planned a prolonged sit-in in Islamabad’s Red Zone, home to parliament, the diplomatic enclave, and other critical government buildings, demanding the release of Imran Khan, who has been in jail since August last year.

However, the party’s city president for Peshawar, Mohammad Asim, announced the protest was called off. “We will chalk out the new strategy later after proper consultation,” Asim told Reuters.