NEW DELHI: A protester was allegedly pushed off a towering stack of shipping containers by security forces during a demonstration calling for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The dramatic moment, captured on video, quickly spread across social media, igniting outrage and raising concerns over the treatment of demonstrators in Pakistan.
The footage shows the protester praying atop a container as armed officers approached. Moments later, the man was pushed from the container and was seen clinging to the container’s edge before plummeting approximately 25 feet to the ground.

According to a report by BBC, the incident reportedly occurred at the intersection of Jinnah and Ataturk Avenues, the epicenter of the protests. The condition of the man remains unknown.
The protests were sparked by the arrest of Imran Khan, who has been in prison since August 2023 on corruption charges. Thousands of his supporters, many traveling from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, marched to Islamabad to demand his release. Among them was Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who led the demonstration alongside Ali Amin Gandapur, chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
However, the demonstrations quickly descended into chaos. The government reported that four paramilitary rangers and two policemen were killed in clashes late Monday, with over 100 security personnel injured. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused protesters of resorting to violence, alleging that they rammed vehicles into paramilitary troops.
The crackdown was swift and severe, with nearly 1,000 protesters arrested. Security forces employed tear gas, baton charges, and roadblocks to disperse crowds, effectively quelling the unrest. The intensity of the response led to the protest’s premature collapse, dealing a significant blow to Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.