Imran Khan has given the govt 6 days to announce the polls
Key Takeaways:
- Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has vowed to return to the country if election dates are not declared within the next six months.
- Conflicts erupted among party members and police personnel in Punjab, Karachi, and Lahore on the eve of Imran Khan's Azadi march.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has threatened to return to Islamabad if election dates are not announced within 6 days after a massive show of strength that held Pakistani towns under siege till Thursday morning as Imran Khan's Azadi march attained the capital Islamabad in the small dawn of Thursday.
On the eve of Imran Khan's Azadi march, conflicts erupted between party members and police officers in Punjab, Karachi, and Lahore. Mohammad Hafeez, a former Pakistan cricketer, took to Twitter to protest that petrol stations in Lahore were out of fuel and ATMs were out of cash.
The army was sent in to protect the city's Red Zone, which includes major facilities such as the Supreme Court and the Prime Minister's residence, from what Imran Khan hoped would be a "peaceful demonstration." On Thursday, Islamabad was turned into a battleground, with police shelling tear gas to prevent the march from entering.
PTI supporters allegedly attacked Geo News' office, injuring some journalists, according to Pakistan's Geo News.
Imran Khan arrived in Islamabad and addressed the march, saying that the government would be pleased if he staged a sit-in since this would result in more fights between his party's members and the police.
"I had planned to sit here until the government disbanded the legislatures and called elections, but based on what I've observed in the last 24 hours, they (the government) are leading the country toward anarchy." In addition, the PTI chairman claimed that five of his party's demonstrators were killed in skirmishes.