Tens of thousands of supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan demonstrated - yesterday, Friday - in Islamabad and other cities;
Protesting the Election Commission's decision to exclude Khan from any public office for a period of 5 years.
Imran Khan had called on his supporters to demonstrate and protest in all cities;
To reject the decision of the Election Commission to prevent him from exercising political activity.
Demonstrations took place in the capital, Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Sialkot, Peshawar, Karachi, Quetta and other towns;
In protest against the decision, which came against the backdrop of Khan's "hiding" details of gifts he received when he was prime minister.
Clashes were reported in Rawalpindi as police tried to disperse protesters trying to enter Islamabad.
In the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, Khan's supporters blocked the main motorway and set rubber tires on fire to block traffic.
Demonstrations and condemnation
Meanwhile, Imran Khan has vowed to organize a "long march" towards Islamabad, in an effort to call early elections scheduled for October next year.
He called an emergency meeting of his party to discuss the future course of action.
Imran Khan accused the election commission of colluding with a corrupt authority, adding, "I will fight them as long as I live."
In turn, an assistant to the former prime minister announced that he would go to the Supreme Court to challenge the electoral commission's decision to exclude the leader of the "Insaf" movement from assuming any position.
Director of Al Jazeera's office, Abdul Rahman Matar, said that the leaders of the Insaf movement were quick to reject the committee's decision, pointing out that demonstrations took place in Lahore in Punjab province (eastern Pakistan) denouncing the decision.
Matar added that the decision would increase the simmering political tension in Pakistan since last April, when confidence in the government of Imran Khan was withheld.
Khan's exclusion
Earlier on Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan declared Imran Khan ineligible to participate in any upcoming elections or hold a public office, for not revealing details of gifts he received when he was prime minister.
Under the decision, Khan will face criminal charges for concealing details of gifts he received from several countries during his tenure as prime minister for more than three years.
Government officials are required to declare all gifts they receive, but they are allowed to keep gifts that are less than a certain value.
Pakistani newspapers have claimed for months that Khan and his wife received lavish gifts worth millions during their trips abroad, including luxury watches, jewellery, handbags and perfume.
The election commission's decision came days after Imran Khan's party won six of the seven National Assembly seats for which it ran across the country in a by-election held last week, implying a surge in its popularity.
This month, a Pakistani court accepted the apology of the dismissed Prime Minister Imran Khan in a "contempt of court" lawsuit, and decided to drop the case against him, in a move that would curb threats to disqualify him from political action.
The former prime minister faced the threat of arrest due to his criticism of police and judicial officials, after refusing to release on bail one of his close aides in a case of incitement.