ISLAMABAD, Oct 13 (Reuters) – Police fired tear gas and live rounds at supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, as clashes erupted over the suspension of his party’s provincial government, party officials said.
The federal government imposed a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday and placed it under direct control, citing a surge in militant violence. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said that was a pretext for a political takeover.
Five people were injured in the clashes that occurred in the province, the most serious of them in Bara, about 15 km (9 miles) from the provincial capital Peshawar. Police said 50 people were detained and would face terrorism and sabotage charges over damage to government property and disturbing law and order.
A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said protesters set fire to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) center in Bara. PTI information secretary Ikram Khatana said the blaze was started by unidentified people, who also stormed nearby offices.
The sacking of PTI’s only provincial government is the latest blow against Khan, who has been in prison since 2023. He has been accused of inciting riots targeting military sites as well as corruption and other charges. His wife, three sisters and scores of activists are also under detention.
Khan denies the allegations and says they are politically motivated.
(Reporting by Islamabad bureau; writing by Ariba Shahid; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
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