Supporters of Imran Khan end protests in Islamabad after security crackdown

Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan have called off their protests in Islamabad after a large security operation led to hundreds of arrests. The protests were demanding Khan's release from jail, where he has been since August 2023. The decision to suspend the protests follows a violent raid by security forces that resulted in at least six deaths. The protests had escalated when Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, led a convoy toward the city's heavily secured red zone. In the aftermath, city workers began clearing debris and removing roadblocks. The stock market reacted positively, with Pakistan's benchmark index rising over 3% after a previous decline linked to the unrest.