Supporters of Pakistan’s Imran Khan Block Roads in New Protest

Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan blocked roads near the capital on Tuesday, disrupting traffic and forcing schools to close, as they protested against a bid to assassinate their leader at a recent anti-government rally.

The former cricket star, who has been pressing for a general election since he was ousted as prime minister after losing a confidence vote in parliament in April, was ‘shot’ at the rally last Thursday. He is recovering from leg wounds

“People are finding it very hard to go to work,” said police official Yawar Ali. “Families have been stuck in the traffic for hours. We’ve even got reports that the protesters have not let ambulances pass.”

Khan’s successor as prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has “rejected his demand for new polls and the deadlock has stoked instability in the nuclear-armed country of 220 million people.”

Khan’s supporters began their protests on major roads around Islamabad late on Monday. They have blocked the highway to Islamabad’s international airport and the ones linking the capital to the cities of Lahore and Peshawar.

Reuters /Shakirat Sadiq