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Islamabad / AFP
Amnesty International has called on Pakistan to release hundreds of opposition activists detained before a planned mass protest, as police used tear gas and rubber bullets overnight to prevent demonstrators from entering Islamabad.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is under growing pressure from opposition parties, mainly Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), over corruption. It plans to lock down the capital on Wednesday as it calls for him to resign.
Police have detained around 1,000 PTI supporters from across the country since last week after imposing a ban on all public gatherings in Islamabad, which was later partly lifted by a court order.
The highway from the northwestern city of Peshawar to Islamabad has become the latest flashpoint, with authorities using shipping containers and anti-riot measures to forcefully prevent an influx of thousands of stick-wielding opposition activists.
Police stopped the protesters from reaching the capital on Monday night, forcing them to sleep in the open around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the city.
“We have decided to turn back and come again today with reinforcements,” Shah Farman, a party leader and provincial minister, said.
Champa Patel, Amnesty International’s South Asia director, said there was no justification for what she called a “repressive crackdown” by police.