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Thousands of people took to the streets of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad this week to protest the detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been in jail for more than a year on charges that his supporters say are politically motivated, Al Jazeera reported.

Sunday’s demonstrations were organized by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and marked its first major protests since the February 2024 elections.

Images and videos online showed Khan’s supporters marching towards the capital from other parts of the country. Authorities in Islamabad blocked key entry points into the city with shipping containers and deployed riot police to prevent unrest.

There were reports of clashes, with police accusing protesters of throwing stones and injuring officers. In contrast, PTI officials alleged authorities harassed workers to prevent their attendance at the demonstrations.

Khan, a former cricket star turned prime minister, was ousted from office in April 2022 through a no-confidence vote.

He has been in jail since August 2023 and is currently on trial for allegedly inciting violence during protests in May of that year, when his supporters attacked military installations.

Despite his legal troubles, Khan has denied the charges against him and a number of his convictions have been suspended or overturned in recent months.

Observers noted that it was the first time since Khan’s arrest that the PTI was allowed by a Pakistani court to hold a rally on the outskirts of Islamabad.

The protests also come as the party’s future remains in question. Last month, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced plans to ban the PTI, citing allegations of inciting violence and leaking classified information.

But the announcement drew criticism from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, which labeled the ban attempt as “an enormous blow to democratic norms,” and said it “reeks of political desperation.”

Meanwhile, Khan’s arrest has also drawn international concern.

Also in July, a United Nations panel of human rights experts found that Khan’s detention lacked a legal basis and appeared to be an attempt to prevent him from running for office.