Pakistan Deploys Army in Its Capital as Protesters and Police Clash

Soldiers were ordered to defend government buildings with gunfire if needed, as supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan demanded his release from prison.

Pakistan deployed its army in the nation’s capital on Tuesday with orders to shoot protesters if necessary, as deadly clashes escalated between the police and supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The government said that at least six members of the security force had been killed in the violence, as thousands of protesters marched to Islamabad to demand Mr. Khan’s release from prison. Hospital officials told local news media that at least four civilians had died from bullet wounds, with more than 50 others being treated for various injuries in two government hospitals.

At a news conference Tuesday night, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar denied that police had opened fire on protesters.

The police had earlier used tear gas and rubber bullets against the demonstrators, who pressed toward a public square near major government offices where they planned to hold a rally.

People in the crowd dismantled roadblocks that had been put in place to stop them while patriotic songs blared from vehicles. Some danced in front of the slow-moving convoy, some chanting, “Revolution! Revolution!”

When they reached the square in late afternoon, some chanted the slogan “Prisoner Number 804” — a reference to Mr. Khan — while others climbed atop shipping containers that had been set up to block their advance.

Mr. Khan, an enormously popular politician and former cricket star who has been jailed since August 2023, had called for the demonstration over the weekend. He accuses the government and the military of conspiring to crush his party and undermine democracy, including by rigging elections. He has also criticized recent legal changes that limit the power of Pakistan’s judiciary, arguing that they are meant to keep him out of power.

The government, which says the charges against Mr. Khan are legitimate, depicts him as a figure who is unwilling to follow the rule of law and has accused him of causing chaos through his protests.

Pakistan’s government put Islamabad on lockdown last weekend, blocking major highways and suspending cellular and internet services in several areas. But protesters managed to enter the city on Monday night.

Security officials said on Tuesday that the army had been deployed to secure important government sites and that troops had been ordered to shoot if needed.

Officials also said that four paramilitary troops had been killed overnight by protesters who ran over them with a vehicle. Mr. Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or P.T.I., denied that accusation. Two police officers were reported to have been killed in earlier violence.

Several journalists were attacked by protesters on Tuesday. A photographer for The Associated Press was assaulted and his vehicle was damaged.

Mr. Khan, who was ousted as prime minister in 2022, was arrested last year on various corruption charges, which he and his supporters say were politically motivated attempts to sideline him after he began publicly criticizing the military. But Mr. Khan’s popularity has not diminished, and he has been able to mobilize other large protests from prison. Tensions between Mr. Khan and the military heightened after this year’s elections, which P.T.I. claims were rigged against it.

Mr. Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, is leading the latest protest, having earlier spearheaded a large rally in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, which is controlled by Mr. Khan’s party. Other protesters joined the march after holding rallies at sites across the country.

Addressing a charged crowd of supporters early Tuesday, Ms. Bibi said the protesters would not leave the city until Mr. Khan was released. “We will go back only if Khan comes out and tells us to go back,” she said.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif accused protesters of deliberately attacking security officers. “Pakistan cannot afford any chaos or bloodshed, and violence for malicious political objectives is unacceptable,” he said in a statement.

After the protesters reached the square where they had planned the rally, officials broadcast announcements through the loudspeakers of a nearby mosque urging them to refrain from violence.

Mr. Tarar, the information minister, warned the protesters not to enter an area known as the Red Zone, which houses government buildings including the prime minister’s residence, Parliament and the Supreme Court.

By 5 p.m., paramilitary troops and police officers had managed to push the protesters away from the square and farther down the road. But tensions remained high, with additional police reinforcements arriving at the protest site.

Streetlights along the highway where the protesters had gathered were turned off, and shops, cafes and markets in nearby neighborhoods were told to close.

Schools will remain closed in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Wednesday, officials said.

A message posted on Mr. Khan’s official X account urged citizens to join the “peaceful protest.” He condemned the government for alleged violence against protesters.