The crackdown brought a swift end to the protests that have gripped Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, this week ever since thousands of people gathered in the city to demand the release of Imran Khan, the former prime minister. Mr. Khan has been in prison since last August on charges that his party claims are politically motivated.

Pakistani authorities arrested nearly 1,000 supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan who stormed the capital this week to demand his release, the city's police chief said on Wednesday.

PTI also claimed that eight of its workers have allegedly been killed, though police claimed that six people, including four paramilitary forces, have died in the protest.