Party workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rallied on the outskirts of Islamabad on Sunday demanding the immediate release of the party chief Imran Khan.
They held a huge jalsa demanding the release of the former prime minister of Pakistan, who remains jailed on graft charges.
The police lobbed tear gas shells at the crowd to disperse them. The Islamabad administration summoned paramilitary forces to control the situation and stop the clashes.
Sources speaking to CNN-News18 said that 20 people, which included both PTI workers and policemen, including Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Islamabad, were injured in the clashes.
Imran was expected to be released from prison after a district and sessions court accepted appeals against his conviction in the Iddat case.
However, shortly after, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested him in a new Toshakhana case.
His sentences in the earlier Toshakhana cases were already suspended, and he had been acquitted by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the cipher case.
Sources speaking to CNN-News18 said that the crackdown happened post 7pm Sunday evening.
“There has been a massive response to the call for Imran Khan’s release. The paranoid Generals have tried to intervene, intimidate and block the flow of human traffic but these are junoonis. No one can stop them and it is a critical stage for the world to weigh in,” a source close to Imran Khan said.
PTI leaders Hammad Azhar and Ali Muhammad Khan along with other leaders of the party addressed the crowd demanding the release of Imran Khan before the clashes occurred.
Police reported that the local administration had set a specific timeframe for the rally. However, when the rally exceeded the allotted time, police attempted to disperse the supporters.
The rally, originally set for July and later August, was postponed twice after authorities revoked permission, citing security concerns and fears of unrest.
For several months, the PTI had sought approval for a public meeting in the capital, but the administration repeatedly denied it.
In March, the party approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after receiving no response from the district administration.
In July, the PTI announced a protest, but it was postponed after the district administration refused to grant permission. The protest was rescheduled for August 22, but the NOC was cancelled at the last minute, with a new date set for September 8.
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