Pakistani police Monday fired tear gas canisters at supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to stop them from entering the capital, where they hoped to stage a sit-in to demand his release,

Protesters march to Pakistan’s capital amid a city lockdown and violent clashes with the police as political tensions surge.

Protesters demanding the release of Pakistan’s jailed former premier Imran Khan reached the edge of the nation’s capital, authorities said late Monday night, overcoming efforts by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ‘s government to stifle the nationwide protests.