MUMBAI, India – Paramilitary forces dispersed protesters in the Pakistani capital on Wednesday, clearing out an encampment of thousands of people who were demanding the release of the imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan.
As supporters were forced out, a spokesman for Khan said the protests were suspended. Protesters described scenes of chaos. "All you could see was tear gas," said one young woman at the protests. She requested anonymity because she was worried about being detained if identified. "My dad and I saw a body fall in front of us. It was all pitch dark. I could hear bullets being shot at people."
It was unclear how many people were injured or died as protesters were cleared out. Khan's party claimed more than a dozen people were killed. It was also unclear whether paramilitary forces used live fire, or rubber bullets. At least seven people were killed as protesters marched into Islamabad, including four members of security forces. Journalists said they were attacked by protesters during the march, and one Associated Press cameraman was taken to hospital after he was beaten.
How did it all unfold?
The protests were the latest clash between Khan and his supporters, the government and the army since tensions began earlier last year. That's when the former prime minister was ousted from power after he fell out with the leadership of the Pakistani army, the country's most powerful institution.
"You have a critical mass of the public that has essentially lost confidence in public institutions, and that includes the army," says Michael Kugleman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center.
That confidence was thrown into question when security forces smashed into an Islamabad courthouse to seize Khan in May. It prompted Khan's supporters to overrun army installations across Pakistan – and led to dozens of cases filed against Khan and a sweeping crackdown against party faithful.
Yet, Khan's party appeared to make a strong showing in elections this February. But his political rivals announced they had won power, leading to allegations of rigged elections. The U.S. and the U.K. raised concerns about the fairness of the elections.
Tensions have simmered since then but escalated after the government pushed through constitutional amendments in late October that curb the independence of the judiciary, widely seen as sympathetic to Khan.
Following that move, Khan's party announced a protest march. It was led by Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, a shadowy spiritual guru who appears in public with a white face veil and gown.
As tens of thousands of people marched onto the capital, the government ordered a rare deployment of Pakistan's military against civilians in the capital, Islamabad. Once the protesters were gone, government ministers declared a victory, of sorts. The information minister Attaullah Tarar told local media that protesters had run away, even leaving their shoes behind.
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