Supporters of Pakistan's ex-PM Imran Khan call off protest; 1,000 activists arrested: Police

Tariq Butt / Reuters

The party of Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan suspended street protests seeking his release, it said on Wednesday, following media reports of hundreds of arrests by security forces in a sweeping midnight raid in the capital.

Meanwhile, Islamabad Police Inspector General Ali Nasir Rizvi said nearly 1,000 protesters had been arrested between Sunday and Tuesday, when crowds came within 1.6 kilometres of a public square they aimed to occupy.

The sit-in had been called off, Zulfikar Bukhari, a spokesman for Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), confirmed, citing what he called "the massacre."

He was referring to Tuesday night's raid in Islamabad after the protests resulted in the deaths of at least six people, among them four paramilitary soldiers and two protesters.

Visiting protest sites on Wednesday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan's law enforcement agencies had successfully cleared protesters from the spot targeted for the sit-in and other areas of the capital.

"I congratulate the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, Islamabad, Punjab, and Sindh police for their courageous role," Naqvi added.

Security officials escort Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi (C), who arrives to talk with media regarding current situation at D-Chowk. AP

Inspector General of Police Islamabad Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi announced that as many as 954 protesters [belonging to PTI have been arrested over the past three days with 610 of them having been detained on Wednesday alone.

Addressing a press conference along with the chief commissioner Islamabad, the IGP reported the confiscation of over 200 vehicles and 39 various types of weapons, including Kalashnikovs, 12-bore guns, and other firearms during PTI protest.

"We have all the video evidence showing armed protesters advancing with masks on their faces," he said. The IGP disclosed that 52 out of 71 injured individuals were law enforcement personnel. "Protesters used large fans to blow tear gas fumes back towards our forces," he explained.

Thousands of protesters had gathered in the centre of Islamabad the previous day, after a convoy led by Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, broke through several lines of security to reach the edge of the city's highly fortified red zone.

Paramilitary soldiers try to detain a supporter of PTI on top of a shipping container during a protest in Islamabad. AFP

Geo News and broadcaster ARY both said security forces launched a massive raid in pitch-dark central Islamabad, where lights had been turned off and a barrage of tear gas was fired. The protesters were almost completely dispersed, they added.

On Wednesday, city workers were clearing debris and moving away some of the shipping containers authorities had used to block roads around the capital.

The red zone was empty of protesters but several of their vehicles were left behind, including the remains of a truck used by Bushra Bibi that appeared charred by flames, Reuters witnesses said.

Policemen fire tear gas shells to disperse supporters of PTI during a protest in Islamabad. AFP

The PTI had planned on staging a sit-in in the red zone, home to parliament, the diplomatic enclave and other key buildings, until the release of Khan, who has been in jail since August last year.

The party had called off the protest, its president for the city of Peshawar in the northern stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said.

"We will chalk out the new strategy later after proper consultation," Mohammad Asim told Reuters.

Imran Khan's wife and the province's Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, a key ally of the jailed leader, had returned "safely" to the province from the capital, he added.

Pakistan's benchmark share index jumped more than 4% in intraday trade on Wednesday, recovering Tuesday's losses when it closed down 3.6% on the news of political clashes.

"With valuations remaining highly attractive, we expect the positive momentum to continue going forward," said Tahir Abbas, head of research at Arif Habib Limited.

The sharp market rebound was fuelled by hopes of political stability restoring investor confidence, he added.