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 roads are now open, and demonstrators have been cleared. The protests began when Khan's supporters marched to demand his release from prison, where he has been for over a year. Clashes with security forces resulted in at least seven deaths, and hundreds of arrests occurred since the protests started. Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, and other leaders fled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province amid the unrest. Khan, ousted in 2022, faces over 150 criminal cases, which his party claims are politically motivated.