Pakistan lifts lockdown in Islamabad after police disperse Imran Khan supporters
Pakistan has lifted a four-day lockdown in its capital, Islamabad, after police used tear gas and fired into the air to disperse supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The protests demanded his release from prison. Roads connecting Islamabad to the rest of the country have reopened. The police action followed clashes that resulted in at least seven deaths as thousands of Khan's supporters breached barriers to enter a high-security area. Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, and other leaders fled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province amid rising tensions. Khan has been imprisoned for over a year and faces numerous criminal charges, which his party claims are politically motivated.