Pakistan’s government has issued a stark warning to ousted prime minister Imran Khan, saying that his supporters will not be able to hold a political rally in Islamabad on Wednesday, after a policeman was shot dead.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the policeman was shot by a supporter of Mr Khan, who in turn has accused authorities of carrying out a draconian campaign against his supporters.
Mr Sanaullah said the killing of the officer proves that Mr Khan is a “terrorist”.
“The decision has been taken to stop them from spreading their agenda of manipulation and division. These people have moved from abuses to bullets,” Mr Sanaullah said in a tweet on Tuesday, in which he did not repeat the “terrorist” accusation but accused Mr Khan's supporters of spreading “anarchy”.
“PTI's proposed long march has nothing to do with the democratic norms, as the party wants to spread anarchy in the country,” he added, using an acronym for Mr Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
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Supporters of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan rally in Karachi protesting against his dismissal from office through a no-confidence vote in parliament. EPA -
Fans throw their weight behind Mr Khan, during a demonstration in Lahore. Reuters -
The former cricketer's supporters turned up wearing colourful costumes at the Karachi rally. AFP -
Mr Khan's supporters came out on the streets of Islamabad shortly after he was dismissed through a parliamentary vote. AFP -
The rally in Lahore drew large crowds of Mr Khan's supporters. AP -
Mr Khan has urged his supporters to stage peaceful protests against his dismissal from power. AFP -
Mr Khan's supporters march in Peshawar. AFP -
Young supporters of Mr Khan express their anger during a rally in Islamabad. Reuters -
Women supporters of Mr Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party turned out in large numbers at the rally. Reuters -
Opposition leader Fazlur Rehman, right, waves to supporters from his vehicle as he leaves the parliament building after the no-confidence vote against Mr Khan. AFP -
Opposition parliamentarians leave the parliament house. AFP -
Supporters of the opposition PML-N party celebrate in Multan, after the vote. EPA -
The announcement of the vote's result came shortly before 1am (8pm GMT) after multiple adjournments in the lower house. EPA -
Supporters of an opposition party celebrate in Karachi, after the announcement of the results. AP -
People celebrate the removal of Mr Khan, in Karachi. AP -
Politicians and supporters of Mr Khan chant slogans outside the National Assembly in Islamabad. Bloomberg -
Police officers detain a supporter of Mr Khan. Bloomberg -
Policewomen detain supporters of Mr Khan. Bloomberg -
Supporters of opposition parties celebrate outside the National Assembly in Islamabad. Bloomberg -
Police officers stand guard outside the National Assembly building. Bloomberg -
Military personnel arrive to take positions outside parliament. Bloomberg -
People celebrate the results of the vote, which was earlier delayed by multiple adjournments in the lower house caused by members of Mr Khan's party. AP
Allies of Mr Khan accuse authorities of raiding 1,100 homes and arresting 400 people in overnight raids, before a rally in support of the former cricket star.
Since being removed from office in a vote of no confidence, Mr Khan has held mass political gatherings across the country in which he has accused his rivals of working covertly with the US government in a plot to unseat him.
On Tuesday, Mr Khan tweeted that his supporters in the PTI had a right to peacefully protest.
“The brutal crackdown on PTI [leaders and] workers in Punjab and Islamabad has once again shown us what we are familiar with ― the fascist nature of PML-N when in power,” he said in a tweet, referring to the party of current prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
On Saturday, senior PTI leader and former minister Shireen Mazari was arrested near her house in the capital over a case involving a decades-old land dispute. She was briefly detained before a court ordered her release.
In 2018, Mr Khan was voted in by an electorate weary of the dynastic politics of the country's two major parties, with the popular former sports star promising to sweep away decades of entrenched corruption and cronyism.
He was brought down in part by his failure to rectify the country's dire economic situation, including its crippling debt, shrinking foreign currency reserves and soaring inflation.
Mr Sharif is now grappling with the same crisis, as well as rising militancy and soured relations with the West.
