(Islamabad) Thousands of supporters of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan rallied on Sunday in the suburbs of the capital Islamabad to demand his release. He has been in jail for over a year in connection with more than 150 police cases.
Mr Khan, the main rival of current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, remains a popular figure despite the cases, which critics and his party say were politically motivated. He was ousted in 2022 by a no-confidence vote in parliament.
Sunday’s rally, one of the largest this year by Mr Khan’s opposition party, the Pakistan Justice Movement, was peaceful, although police briefly clashed with some activists.
Mr Khan’s spokesman, Zulfi Bukhari, denounced the police action against his supporters, whom he considered peaceful.
Earlier, authorities blocked key roads with shipping containers to prevent supporters from attending the rally.
“God willing, we will soon get Imran Khan released,” Ali Amin, the top elected official in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told the rally.
He gave the government a two-week ultimatum to release the former prime minister.
Mr Khan has been in prison since 2023, when he was arrested after being convicted in a corruption case.