Wed Nov 27 17:38:29 UTC 2024: ## Pakistan Reopens Islamabad Roads After Deadly Clashes With Imran Khan Supporters
**ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN –** Authorities in Pakistan reopened roads leading into Islamabad on Wednesday, ending a four-day lockdown following violent clashes between security forces and supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The crackdown, which involved tear gas and gunfire, dispersed thousands of protesters who had marched on the capital demanding Khan’s release from prison. At least seven people were killed in the clashes.
The protest, led by Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, saw demonstrators breach security barriers and enter a high-security zone before being forced back by police. Bibi and other PTI leaders subsequently fled to Mansehra. Hundreds of protesters were arrested following the unrest, which began Sunday with a “long march” from the northwest.
Khan, who remains a popular figure despite being ousted in a 2022 no-confidence vote, faces over 150 criminal charges, which his party claims are politically motivated. He has been imprisoned for over a year. The situation in Islamabad had been tense since the start of the march. The reopening of the roads marks an end to the immediate crisis, but the underlying political tensions remain.
First Piper 