Clashes, blockades and tear gas bar PTI supporters from travelling to Islamabad
Police and Frontier Constabulary personnel used tear gas shells to disperse thousands of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) protesters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Swabi en route to Islamabad on Monday to join the party's planned Nov 2 'lockdown' of the capital.
Around 5,000 stick-wielding party workers are trying to remove barricades put in place by police using cranes near the Swabi Interchange, while law enforcement personnel are using tear gas shelling and rubber bullets to stop the protesters.
The PTI protesters have vowed to move on undeterred towards the federal capital, they are trying to remove containers using cranes as the night falls.
Some protesters also fainted due to the shelling, while others were injured by rubber bullets. Those affected were taken to hospitals, DawnNews reported.