Police fire at Imran Khan supporters in Pakistan, 11 injured

Police opened fire at a protest in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, injuring several people as authorities cracked down on supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, according to a police official and a member of Khan’s party.

A local member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said officers “opened fire directly into the crowd” during a rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. A police intelligence officer, however, said officers fired warning shots into the air to disperse the protesters.

Thousands of Khan’s supporters have marched in recent weeks in the PTI stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, demanding his release and voicing broader grievances over the government and harsh economic conditions.

Khan, a hugely popular former cricket star, has been in prison since August 2023 and faces dozens of charges ranging from corruption to treason following anti-establishment riots.

He and his legal team reject the allegations, describing the cases as politically motivated attempts to undermine his popularity.

A police intelligence officer in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told AFP that more than 200 protesters gathered in the town of Bara on Tuesday. Security forces used tear gas, batons and gunfire to disperse the demonstration.

“After the police used tear gas and batons, the demonstrators regrouped, apprehended police personnel and assaulted them,” the officer said, requesting anonymity.

“Other officials at the scene opened fire into the air to rescue their colleagues. The protesters also attempted to snatch weapons from the police, prompting the officials to fire further warning shots into the air to disperse the crowd.”

The officer said 11 protesters were injured by bullets and stones. Demonstrators also vandalised an emergency services office and set fire to an administrative building.

Local PTI member Khursheed Afridi told AFP that police “opened fire directly into the crowd to disperse them, leaving more than a dozen PTI workers seriously injured”.

Emergency rule

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was placed under emergency rule on Sunday following days of anti-government protests demanding Khan’s release.

Local police said in a statement that they had arrested 50 people in Bara on suspicion of terrorism, sabotage and damaging public property.

Authorities have detained hundreds of PTI members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since emergency rule came into effect, according to police.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Monday that the province’s chief minister, Sohail Afridi, had been taken into custody but had not been “arrested”. He did not provide further details.

Khursheed Afridi told AFP that more than 800 demonstrators had gathered in Bara to show support for Sohail Afridi.

Afridi is a common tribal name in the Khyber district of northwest Pakistan.

Islamabad has justified imposing emergency rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by accusing the PTI-led provincial administration of failing to tackle militant violence that has plagued the region.

The PTI has strongly opposed the measure, describing it as undemocratic and an attempt by the federal government to seize power.