PTI protesters reach D-Chowk amid intense tear gas shelling

As several PTI protesters reached Islamabad's D-Chowk, intense tear gas shelling was reported as security forces sprung into action amid a stalemate in talks between the government and the opposition party.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned what he said was an "attack by protesters", which the interior minister said resulted in the deaths of at least four security personnel, reports Dawn.

The incident comes as PTI convoys — plying roads countrywide since Sunday — gather in Islamabad for a much-touted power show to demand the release of its founder Imran Khan, among other things.

Visuals shared by a Dawn.com correspondent present at the scene show dozens of PTI protesters gathering near Islamabad's D-Chowk and climbing up containers placed there to obstruct their way.

Army personnel were also standing on top of a container, the correspondent said.

D-Chowk, a roundabout in Islamabad's heavily fortified Red Zone, has long served as a spot for political protests. The junction leads to critical government buildings, including Parliament House, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Pakistan Secretariat, and the Prime Minister's Office.

Later visuals showed protesters converging about 550 metres away from D-Chowk, where as many as three layers of containers could be seen piled atop each other.

The government and the PTI have apparently opened a 'back-channel' for the sake of negotiations.

Last night, Naqvi seemed to confirm talks with the protesting opposition party, saying that the government had offered Sangjani — the same venue on the outskirts of Islamabad where the PTI held its Sept 8 rally — for the protest.

Late-night media reports suggested that PTI leaders were trying to prevail upon Imran's wife Bushra Bibi, who is leading the main caravan of protesters coming from KP to Islamabad, to accept the proposal to change the protest venue.

Dawn quoted police officers as saying that the convoy of the PTI leaders and workers coming from KP comprised over 34,000 persons.

On Nov 13, Imran Khan issued a "final call" for nationwide protests on Nov 24, demanding the restoration of the PTI's electoral mandate, the release of detained party members and the reversal of the 26th Amendment, which he said has strengthened a "dictatorial regime".