ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Recent protests in Islamabad, led by the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have come under severe repression, with reports emerging of numerous fatalities and extensive detentions. The demonstrations, which began on November 26, were primarily a call for the release of the party’s leader, former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The government responded to the protests by implementing widescale disruptions, including a shutdown of mobile internet services across the nation and specifically in the capital, lasting for four days. This communication blackout coincided with mass detentions; authorities reportedly arrested over 4,000 PTI supporters in the days leading up to the protests, with around 610 seized in Islamabad alone in just three days.
During the two days of unrest, the situation intensified significantly. Military forces were deployed in the capital after the government invoked constitutional provisions concerning external aggression or threats of war. The subsequent clashes between the protesters and security forces led to the deployment of tear gas and even more drastic measures, including orders to “shoot at sight,” according to sources.
Amnesty International has voiced its concern, noting the harsh tactics used against the demonstrators. Babu Ram Pant, the Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, emphasized the pattern of intolerance toward peaceful assembly evidenced by the government’s actions. He called for “a prompt, thorough, impartial, effective, and transparent investigation” into not only the deaths and injuries but also the potentially unlawful use of both lethal and less-lethal force by security personnel.
This call is underscored by the difficulty in verifying casualties due to the restrictions on media and communications. The exact number of those killed or injured remains unclear, although preliminary reports from the morning of November 27 pointed to at least six people dead, which included four security officers.
These incidents reflect a broader context of diminishing room for civic engagement and protest in Pakistan. Similar suppressive measures were reported earlier in the year during protests by other ethnic and political groups, such as the Baloch and Pashtun communities.
The right to peaceful assembly is enshrined in international human rights laws—a right that the Pakistan government’s current measures seem to contravene. The international community, along with local human rights organizations, continues to monitor the situation closely, calling for accountability and urging the government to respect civil liberties.
As Pakistan grapples with these internal security challenges, the response to the PTI protests marks a critical point in the country’s governance, potentially setting precedents for how dissent and public opposition are managed in times of political crisis.