27.11.2024 11:23
Protests demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan led to clashes with the police. The death toll has risen to 14, and hundreds of people have been detained.
Since August of last year, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been in prison in Pakistan, has seen the toll of protests organized at his call increase. Following the protests in the capital Islamabad, where demonstrators took to the streets demanding Khan's release despite a ban, the number of fatalities in clashes with police has risen to 14, including 6 security personnel. The violent clashes ended with the withdrawal of senior figures and supporters of Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), from the streets. In a statement from the party, it was announced, "We are temporarily suspending our peaceful protests due to the government's brutality and plans to turn the capital into a 'slaughterhouse' for unarmed civilians." It is reported that hundreds of people were detained during the protests.
THERE ARE DOZENS OF CRIMINAL CASES AGAINST KHAN
Imran Khan, who held the prime minister's seat in Pakistan until April 2022, was sent to prison on August 5, 2023, following an arrest warrant issued in a corruption case. Khan, who was sentenced to 3 years in prison for selling gifts valued at over 140 million rupees belonging to the state, had his sentence suspended on August 29, and it was decided that he would be released on bail. However, Khan's detention was extended at the request of the prosecution, as he was accused of "leaking state secrets" in a different case, and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "leaking state secrets" during a hearing in January. The Islamabad High Court acquitted Khan on June 3 of the charges related to leaking state secrets. Khan, who has been in prison for more than a year, faces over 150 criminal cases.