PTI supporters who were awaiting Imran Khan's arrival at D-Chowk in Islamabad entered the Red Zone on Thursday morning after the party chief gave a six-day deadline to the government for announcing elections and warned that he would "return" to the capital if the demand was not met, police said.
According to a statement issued by the Islamabad police spokesperson, the protesters were being stopped by police, Rangers and other law enforcers with "patience", reports Dawn news.
He said Islamabad Inspector General of Police Akbar Nasir Khan was also present at the site and protesters were being instructed to leave the Red Zone.
The Dawn report said that they have since begun to disperse after negotiations with the police.
Earlier, Khan addressed the protesters at Islamabad's 9th Avenue and gave a six-day deadline to the government for announcing elections and dissolving assemblies and warned that he would return to the capital with the "entire nation" otherwise, Dawn reported.
"I had decided that I will sit here until the government dissolves assemblies and announces elections, but of what I have seen in the past 24 hours, they (govt) are taking the nation towards anarchy," the ousted Prime Minister said, claiming that the government was also trying to create a divide between the nation and police.
Khan said the government would be happy if he staged a sit-in in Islamabad as it would lead to clashes between the people and police and the army.
He denounced the "tactics" used by the "imported government", including raids and arrests, to stop the PTI's march and thanked the Supreme Court (SC) for taking notice of the matter.
The former premier said there was a "huge responsibility" on Supreme Court judges, as he went on to ask where in a democracy peaceful protests were not allowed and demonstrators had to face tear-gas shelling, police raids and arrests.