Opposition supporters in Pakistan have temporarily called off protests demanding the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a day after marching in central Islamabad.
Protesters had vowed not to leave the capital until Khan was released. But as they broke through the barriers and headed toward Democracy Square on Tuesday, they were pushed back by police and greeted by volleys of tear gas.
At least six people – four security officers and two civilians – died in clashes during the latest protests, which began on Sunday.
Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said in a statement on Wednesday that the protests had been “temporarily suspended” due to “government brutality”.
The repression against the demonstrators was rapid. Although Khan's supporters managed to reach the center of the city by sunset Tuesday, authorities had dispersed them.
A government source told local media that police had arrested more than 500 PTI supporters and the interior minister said his wife Bushra Bibi, who played a central role in the protest, had left the area.
The PTI claimed that several of its collaborators were killed during the crackdown and called for an investigation.
Overnight, the BBC spoke to two sources at a nearby hospital who said they had received four bodies of civilians with gunshot wounds.
The BBC has not yet independently verified this information. Pakistan's information minister said authorities resisted firing on protesters.
Islamabad had been placed under lockdown, with a heavy security presence deployed in anticipation of clashes with convoys of PTI supporters.
The convoys were led by PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur and Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, who was released from prison in October and has since taken a larger role in trying to mobilize support for Khan.
Reports indicate that Gandapur and Bushra Bibi left Islamabad and returned to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where their convoy had come from.
The protesters reportedly responded to a “final” call from Khan, asking them to “fight to the end” until their demands are met.
Their destination was D-Chowk, near the central government buildings in Islamabad, and a site of political rallies and protests since the 1980s.
But only a few demonstrators made it that far.
By Tuesday evening – just hours after protesters first reached the square – security officers had managed to evacuate the area. As night fell, the lights were turned off and only police and paramilitary soldiers remained.
Khan has been in prison for more than a year on charges he says are politically motivated.
Even behind bars, the former cricket star has proven to be a powerful player in Pakistani politics. In the February elections, his party, which had been banned from running and forced to field independent candidates, became the largest bloc.
However, they failed to gain a majority and their rivals united to form a new government.
The PTI has called for the election results to be annulled because it claims the vote was rigged, a claim disputed by the government.
