Dozens of Pakistan police injured in clashes with supporters of former PM Khan

ISLAMABAD - More than 80 police personnel were injured in clashes with supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan during a march near Islamabad, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Oct 5.

The march - led by the head of the north-western province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where Khan's party remains in power - aims to gather in the capital, defying a ban on congregations, to press for Khan's release and agitate against the ruling coalition.

"The convoy, led by the chief minister, fired on the police and continuously used tear gas against law enforcers," Mr Naqvi told journalists.

He said more than 80 police officers had been treated for injuries since Oct 4, when clashes broke out just outside the city during an anti-government rally.

The authorities have sealed off Islamabad and blocked cellphone services to prevent the gathering.

Islamabad is on high alert ahead of a series of top-level diplomatic events scheduled over the next two weeks, including a visit by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Mr Naqvi said that while the convoy was heavily armed, the police had been instructed not to carry weapons to prevent the situation from escalating. The government has deployed the army to enhance security in Islamabad.

The protesters plan to gather in the city's red zone, which houses the country's Parliament and a fortified enclave of foreign embassies.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party denies using violence and says it wants to hold a peaceful gathering.

Mr Naqvi had previously called on the PTI to delay any gathering until after diplomatic engagements in the city, including a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting on Oct 15 and 16, which will be attended by delegations, including from