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Islamabad braces for protests in support of jailed ex-PM Imran Khan

Nov 24, 2024, 4:51pm EST
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Supporters of the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party.
Fayaz Aziz TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/Reuters

Islamabad was under lockdown Sunday amid nationwide protests in favor of releasing former Prime Minister Imran Khan from prison.

Despite being behind bars for more than a year, Khan remains the dominant political force driving Pakistan’s opposition, and the country’s powerful military establishment and current government sees him and his party as a public threat, an analyst told the BBC.

Certainly, the protests have taken a toll on Pakistan’s struggling economy: One analysis estimated the demonstrations have cost more than $9 million over the last 1.5 years, and the International Monetary Fund recently issued a $7 billion loan that includes conditions aimed at boosting public trust in the country’s febrile government.

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