Pakistani troops killed as protesters storm barricades demanding the release of jailed ex-PM Imran Khan
Four members of Pakistan’s security services were killed as thousands of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan's supporters clashed with law enforcement in Islamabad.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Four members of Pakistan’s security services were killed as thousands of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's supporters broke through government barricades and clashed with law enforcement in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement that vehicles in a convoy of protesters ran over the paramilitary officers.
“It is not a peaceful protest. It is extremism,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a separate statement issued by his office.
The protests were sparked by demands for Khan’s release from jail and the resignation of the federal government over what demonstrators call rigged general elections this year.
Demonstrators dismantled roadblocks, including shipping containers, which were set up on motorways and roads to prevent their entry. Authorities meanwhile, fired tear gas in an attempt to scatter the protesters.
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