A protest by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers in Bara tehsil of Khyber district turned violent, with protesters clashing with police and government buildings set ablaze.
According to a report from Dawn, Eyewitnesses reported that police used tear gas and fired live rounds during the confrontation, while some protesters allegedly manhandled law enforcement personnel.
At least five protesters were confirmed injured based on eyewitness accounts, while a doctor at Hayatabad Medical Complex told Dawn that more than a dozen injured people, including four policemen, had been brought to the hospital. Police said 50 people had been arrested.
The demonstration was held against the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which rendered PTI’s Sohail Afridi non-functional as the provincial chief minister, as well as the imposition of an emergency in 12 districts, including Khyber.
Scores of PTI workers gathered at Khyber Chowk in Bara Bazaar before police arrived and reportedly used baton charges and tear gas to disperse them. The situation escalated after local MPA Abdul Ghani Afridi reached the site with additional supporters.
According to eyewitnesses, protesters forced police personnel to retreat into nearby shops and commercial buildings. Reports also emerged of protesters dragging law enforcers out of the buildings, prompting police to fire tear gas shells and live rounds into the air.
A nearby National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office and part of a Rescue 1122 building were also reportedly set ablaze during the unrest.
Although police eventually dispersed the protesters from Khyber Chowk, all roads leading to Bara Bazaar remained closed after the demonstration ended.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Bara Siyasi Ittehad urged PTI workers and police to avoid further violence and confrontation.
