Image source, Reuters

As the day comes to an end in Pakistan, anti-government protesters have been dispersing throughout the capital Islamabad.

Protesters had reached D Chowk - short for Democracy Square - in the the centre of the Pakistani capital earlier today.

But just a few hours after arriving, BBC journalists who visited the central square say not a single protester is left there.

Here are some of the other key developments from today:

• Four security officers were killed after being run over by a speeding vehicle in Islamabad, according to police - it is not clear who was driving the vehicle
• Reports say a number of protesters were killed or wounded in clashes with police

• Journalists on the ground said several media organisations were attacked by protesters; the PTI said its supporters were not the attackers and that the attacks were "deplorable"
• Pakistan's army was deployed to parts of the capital, in anticipation of protesters reaching central Islamabad
• A sit-in had been planned at D Chowk, with protesters saying they would not leave until ex-PM Imran Khan was released
• But within a couple of hours security forces had pushed them back and regained control of the area

We are now ending our live coverage for the day, but you can read more in our story here:

• Thousands defy Pakistan police in support of Imran Khan

Farhat Javed
BBC Urdu, reporting from Islamabad

Image source, Mudassir Malik

Just a few hours ago, the scene at Islamabad's D Chowk was very different from the current situation.

Earlier, PTI workers managed to reach the square after breaching barricades, but were later dispersed by security forces, who now control the area.

PTI officials say that security personnel have now taken control of D Chowk, and Bushra Bibi's container has been pushed back toward 7th Avenue. Markets in the surrounding areas have been partially closed off.

Islamabad remains tense as night falls, with PTI supporters regrouping in nearby areas, seemingly avoiding further confrontations for now.

Imran Khan, still in jail, has urged his followers on X to "fight till the end" and continue protests until their demands are met.

Police and paramilitary troops from the adjacent cities have been called to the capital, police confirm.

Given Islamabad's history of protests, especially those led by PTI and Imran Khan, we can expect the current unrest to continue in some form. In the past, PTI protests have been marked by persistent mobilisation, with protesters regrouping even after being dispersed by security forces.

Image source, Getty Images

Imran Khan has issued a defiant statement from his jail cell, urging supporters to stay peaceful and united, and "stand firm until our demands are met".

"My message to my team is to fight till the end, we will not back down," the former prime minister said on X.

"I have a message for those threatening a trial in a military court: do what you have to do, I will not back down from my position."

He urged any protesters who had not yet reached D Chowk to make their way there.

He said police and rangers fired on protesters, killing and injuring some, on the instructions of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and he would have to account for his actions.

As we've been reporting, some protesters reached D Chowk a few hours ago, where a sit-in had been planned. In the last hour, they have begun to disperse and move to other parts of the city.

Imran Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, is part of a convoy that was yet to reach the square in central Islamabad.

Earlier today, she told protesters to stand firm and await next steps, according to local media.

Speaking to the protesters in Islamabad, she said: "Our plan will not change until Imran Khan comes out and tells us what to do."

She told Khan's supporters that their sit-in would be held at D Chowk, and they would be guided on their next steps after their arrival.

She has not commented publicly since protesters were dispersed from the square, the BBC understands.

Details about the whereabouts of the protesters and what's happening to them are proving hard to come by as Pakistan continues to face difficulties with internet coverage.

The Interior Ministry says WiFi and mobile networks are being suspended in areas where there are "security concerns", but problems are being reported as far away as Karachi in the far south of the country, where there are no protests.

The internet watchdog Netblocks says WhatsApp backends have been restricted, external, making sharing of photos and video of the protests much harder.

Caroline Davies
BBC News, Islamabad

Imran Khan’s party said it planned to hold a sit-in at D Chowk, close to Islamabad’s parliamentary buildings, until their demands were met, including his release from jail.

However, after just a few hours the area is now empty and the protesters have begun to be dispersed throughout the nearby areas of the city.

Just hours after protesters reached D Chowk, the security forces have retaken the area.

BBC journalists at the scene say not a single protester is left there – just police and paramilitary troops. It’s currently unclear where the protesters have gone, or where their leaders are now.

The PTI confirmed that police had regained control of D Chowk and were now shutting down markets near the venue.

The party's media co-ordinator said they weren’t sure where the protest leaders were, including Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi.

“I seriously don’t know - internet is a huge problem,” the spokesperson said.

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, protesters have rallied in large groups, marching towards Pakistan's capital city in support of jailed former PM Imran Khan.

Khan issued a "final" call to his supporters, asking them to remain in the capital until the government meets their demands - which include his release.

One protester said they were here at Khan's request, but also on behalf of the entire country.

"Imran Khan told us to come here, not for him, but for ours and our country's sakes", he said.

"That’s the reason we are here. We will stay here until Khan himself is here with us and tells us what to do next.”

Another protester, Abdul Rashid, told AFP news agency: "This is not our government, this government is made up of traitors."

"Long live Imran Khan," he added.

We are hearing from journalists covering the unrest on the ground that several media organisations have come under attack from protesters.

Sara Hassan, of VOA Urdu, has asked for help from PTI leaders to get her team out of the area, while The Independent's Urdu team said they were "mishandled by apparent PTI supporters".

Haroon Rasheed told the BBC: "PTI needs to tame them."

Anas Malik, of World Is One News (WION) has described how buildings near D Chowk have been "ransacked" by protesters.

Sadiq Sajid, a senior journalist at AIK News TV, confirmed to BBC News that 15 to 20 staff members were forced to lock themselves inside their office after protesters entered the building.

The PTI have said they are telling supporters not to attack media teams, saying the attacks were "deplorable".

However, a party spokesman told the BBC the attacks may not have been carried out by PTI supporters, suggesting there could have been troublemakers in amongst protesters.

Farhat Javed
BBC Urdu, Islamabad

D Chowk, short for Democracy Square, lies at the heart of Islamabad’s government district. Once a military parade ground, it’s been a stage for political rallies and protests since the 1980s.

At the junction of Jinnah Avenue and Constitution Avenue, the square is surrounded by the main buildings of government, parliament, and the Supreme Court. The diplomatic enclave is a short distance away.

Former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto both led opposition rallies here in the 1990s.

In 2014, before he became PM, Imran Khan staged an 120-day sit-in in D Chowk. Tens of thousands camped out, cooking, chanting and listening to speeches calling for the resignation of Sharif, who was in power at the time.

The authorities later tried to stop large gatherings, declaring the square a no-protest zone – but it remains a magnet for demonstrators to this day.

Image source, AFP

Some protesters have reached their final destination of D Chowk in central Islamabad - but thousands more are still heading towards the square in large crowds and convoys.

Here are some pictures from today along the march route in Pakistan's capital city:

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, EPA

The man at the centre of the protests is, of course, not there.

Imran Khan has been in jail for more than a year on charges ranging from corruption to instigating violence to illegal marriage, all of which he says are politically motivated.

The country’s former cricket captain remains a hugely popular figure, and even from behind bars is still the dominant force of Pakistan’s opposition politics.

During elections in February, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which had been banned from standing and was forced to run candidates as independents, emerged as the single largest bloc.

But they fell short of a majority and their rivals united to form a new government.

Khan served four years as prime minister before losing a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in 2022. Reports said he’d fallen out with the country's powerful military.

As we've been reporting, a number of protesters have reached a central square in Islamabad situated near a number of important government buildings - including the prime minister’s office, parliament, and the supreme court.

A spokesperson for Imran Khan's party, PTI, says supporters plan to sit outside parliament until their demands are met, Reuters news agency reports.

Among their demands is Khan's release from prison. He has been behind bars for more than a year, on charges he says were politically motivated.

Usman Zahid
Senior producer, BBC News, Islamabad

Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad, Irfan Nawaz Memon, confirmed to BBC News that protesters have reached D Chowk.

He said police and paramilitary forces had not stopped them, and the situation is currently peaceful.

Videos have gone viral showing protesters celebrating on top of shipping containers stacked three-high in front of parliament at D Chowk.

Leaders of the opposition PTI have been determined to reach D Chowk since the protest first began over the weekend. The main truck, which Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi is travelling in, has yet to reach the square.

What will happen next remains to be seen: Memon would not be drawn on whether the government is planning to initiate talks with the protesters.

Image source, Geo News

As we've been reporting, the first protesters have reached D Chowk - short for Democracy Square - in central Islamabad.

Images have started emerging from area, with Pakistan's GeoTV sharing video of people scrambling over shipping containers , externalplaced in the square as blockades ahead of the protests.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify these images.

Farhat Javed
Reporting from Islamabad

I’m here on Srinagar Road, one of Islamabad’s main highways which overnight has been turned into a battleground.

Earlier, tear gas filled the air as police clashed with protesters, who hurled stones back in response.

Police say rangers personnel have been killed, while PTI alleges bullets were fired at their supporters. So far, the BBC hasn’t been able to verify these claims.

Residents here are caught in the middle and are fed up.

One father told us he moved his children to a safe place. Another shared how his asthmatic daughter struggled through the night because of the tear gas and smoke. “I never expected the clashes would be so close to home,” he said.

One of the protesters, who had come to Islamabad from the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhw, revealed he had slept in his car and then on the footpath for the last two nights.

He was not deterred by police efforts to dispel protesters though.

“As far as police is concerned, I am addicted to teargas shells, so I am not worried,” he laughed.

Protesters have reached D Chowk, a large square in the heart of Islamabad's government district, and their final destination.

They had earlier said they would not leave the area until their requests, which include the release of ex-PM Imran Khan, are met.

As we've been reporting, protesters are hoping to reach Democracy Chowk or D Chowk in central Islamabad.

Over the last hour or so, our BBC crew on the ground has observed the paramilitary force FC preparing to move onto D Chowk, a key point in central Islamabad near government buildings, the Supreme Court and parliament.

Here are some pictures from the scene:

As we mentioned earlier, the protesters' goal is to reach D Chowk, a key point in central Islamabad. Once there, they are expected to make a "final call" for the release of former prime minister Imran Khan from jail.

Four security officers were killed after being run over by a speeding vehicle on the Srinagar Highway in Islamabad, according to police.

It is not clear who was driving the vehicle, but the country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appeared to blame the protesters, saying "attacks on police and [security] personnel under the guise of so-called peacerful protests are condemnable". He added that there was a "chaotic group deliberately targeting law enforcement agencies".

The country's interior minister attributed the attacks to a group of "miscreants", but did not identify them further.