Turbulent Times: PTI Calls Off Protests Amid Crackdown

Imran Khan's PTI halts protests in Islamabad after a severe crackdown resulted in fatalities and injuries. The operation saw mass arrests and alleged government brutality. Roads were reopened as security forces cleared protestors. Despite severe clashes, Khan promises more actions as the party prepares future strategies.

The political turmoil in Islamabad reached a climax as former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, PTI, called off its protests following a violent crackdown by authorities. The midnight operation resulted in at least four deaths and over 50 injuries, with roads in the capital reopened and cleaned after the chaotic demonstration.

Concerns heightened over the whereabouts of Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who were leading the protest march. PTI sources confirmed they were in Mansehra town, near Abbotabad. The protests described as a 'massacre' by the party, escalated tensions with security forces, leading to hundreds of arrests.

Imran Khan, who remains incarcerated, criticized the government's violence as state brutality while calling for future protests. Meanwhile, normalcy began to return to Islamabad as authorities resumed road operations and businesses slowly reopened. The situation also briefly impacted the stock exchange and aviation routes.

(With inputs from agencies.)