Thousands of Imran Khan supporters defy tear gas, lockdown and arrest to head to the capital

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Thousands of supporters of Pakistan’s imprisoned former premier Imran Khan have defied a lockdown and widespread arrests to head to the capital Monday to demand his release.

Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated.

The “long march” comes ahead of a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to Islamabad.

The convoy of vehicles carrying protesters is expected to reach later Monday the capital, which has been sealed off. Security officials say they expect between 9,000-11,000 demonstrates while the PTI claims the number will be much higher.

The lockdown, which has been in place for two days following the call for protest, has disrupted daily life and travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible. Ambulances and cars were seen turning back from areas along the key Grand Trunk Road highway in the province of Punjab where shipping containers were used to block roads.

Footage circulating online showed some protesters, who had been traveling all night, operating heavy machinery to remove the containers and clear the roads to Islamabad.

“We are determined and we will reach Islamabad, though police are using tear gas to stop our march,” Kamran Bangash, a PTI senior leader, told The Associated Press. “We will overcome all hurdles one by one, and our supporters are removing shipping containers from roads.”

Bangash also said Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, recently released on bail in a graft case, will lead the march along with Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where Khan’s party remains in power.

Almost 50 kilometers (31 miles) away from Islamabad, Bibi, wearing a loose Hijab and a white head-to-toe burqa, addressed protesters while sitting in a truck, urging them to remain determined to “achieve their goal” and free Khan. She then chanted “God is great” and left.

Khan’s main political opponent, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, heads the current government.

Sharif’s spokesman, Attaullah Tarar, said on Sunday that whenever any high-profile foreign delegation comes to Pakistan, PTI “begins the politics of long marches and onslaught on Islamabad to harm the economy.”

Some economists say protests cause billions of rupees in damages to the country’s fragile economy.

Protesters on Sunday night burned trees as police fired tear gas to disperse crowds. Khan supporters retaliated by using slingshots and pelting security personnel with rocks.

In a bid to foil the protest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns,” which PTI said affected the efficacy of its call for protest on social media. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested.

Authorities say only courts can order the release of Khan who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case.

Khan has also been sentenced in several cases, including to three years, 10 years, 14 years and seven years to be served concurrently under Pakistani law. His convictions were later overturned in appeals but he cannot be freed due to other pending cases against him.

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Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar and Asim Tanveer in Multan contributed to this report.