Pakistani police have filed multiple charges against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and others for inciting violence during protests that have left six people dead and many injured, officials confirmed on Thursday.

The demonstrations were fuelled by continued anger at Khan’s imprisonment since August 2023, which his supporters claim is politically motivated. The former premier has over 150 legal cases against him. 

Bushra Bibi, who is out on bail in a corruption case, led thousands of Khan’s supporters from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Islamabad, demanding his release. 

The rally turned violent, with clashes resulting in the deaths of four security personnel and two protesters.

Islamabad police have accused Khan’s supporters of ramming a vehicle into security forces, and nearly 1,000 demonstrators have been arrested since Sunday.

Authorities have now charged Khan, Bibi, and others under anti-terrorism laws for inciting attacks on security forces and disturbing public order. 

Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal claimed that protesters were armed, alleging that the rally was not peaceful and that demonstrators were armed. He denied claims by Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, that police used live bullets, killing several demonstrators. 

The protests follow a series of sectarian clashes in Kurram district earlier this month which killed 42 Shiites, sparking retaliatory violence which left dozens more people dead. 

On Thursday, eight more people were killed in renewed sectarian violence in Kurram, according to police. 

In a separate incident, journalist Matiullah Jan was charged with terrorism after being accused of refusing to stop at a checkpoint, snatching a gun from an officer and being “drunk”.

Jan, now in police custody, denies the allegations, and his family claims he was abducted before being charged.

The ongoing political instability has impacted Pakistan’s economy, with the country’s stock exchange losing over $1.7 billion (€1.6 billion) on Tuesday. However, it rebounded on Thursday, exceeding 100,000 points for the first time.