At least five security personnel have been killed and dozens were reported injured after Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan’s supporters entered Islamabad on Monday night.
Pakistan’s government has vowed to take every action needed to bring the situation under control. The army was also given “shoot-at-sight” orders.
The clashes erupted after Imran Khan’s supporters gathered for a protest demanding his release from prison.
Supporters broke through barricades of shipping containers designed to lock down the city. However, the unrest escalated as police used tear gas to disperse crowds.
Pakistani media claims that among those injured and journalists.
Meanwhile, Associated Press (AP) reported that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued a stern warning to demonstrators, threatening to respond with live ammunition if protesters fired at law enforcement.
“If they again fire bullets, the bullet will be responded with the bullet,” he said shortly after midnight.
AP also reported that one of its journalists sustained head injuries in the clashes and that his camera was destroyed.
The PTI rally, despite a court ban on protests in the capital, saw thousands of supporters converge approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) from Islamabad’s Red Zone, which houses key government buildings.
Authorities had proposed alternative rally locations outside the city, but the offer was rejected by PTI.
The violence coincides with an official visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, adding to the tension. Naqvi reiterated the government’s stance, stating that only the courts have the authority to release Khan.