The Pakistan Army has been summoned to protect the red zone and diplomatic enclave from demonstrators protesting against the anti-Islam film here.
Protesters pelted vehicles with stones near a five star hotel located close to the red zone. At least nine policemen have been injured during clashes with protesters. Police have used tear gas and baton charged protesters to disperse them.
The Constitutional Avenue has been sealed and police is shelling tear gas on the protesters. Thousands of students earlier marched towards Islamabad from Rawalpindi, Murree and other areas.
Qamar Zaman Kaira said situation in Islamabad was serious and Punjab government was not performing its duty. Meanwhile, US has issued as advisory to its citizens not to travel in Pakistan.
Police fired live rounds and tear gas Thursday to break up a crowd of around 1,000 students, many armed with wooden clubs, protesting in Islamabad against a US-made anti-Islam film.
The demonstrators were driven back by police as they tried to reach Islamabad s heavily-guarded diplomatic enclave, which is home to most Western embassies, including the US, British and French missions.
The anti-Islam movie by US-based extremist Christians has triggered protests in at least 20 countries since excerpts were posted online, and more than 30 people have been killed in violence linked to the film.
There have been dozens of protests around Pakistan over the past week and at least two people have been killed, but Thursday is the first time protests in the capital have turned violent.
Police fired tear gas and live rounds as the protesters, chanting “we are ready to die to safeguard the Prophet’s honor,” tried to break through a barrier of truck containers set up to block access to the diplomatic enclave.
The firing forced the protesters to scatter, but they returned later to pelt the police picket with stones.
Student Asif Mehmood demanded police let the protesters through to the US embassy and urged harsh treatment for American pastor Terry Jones, notorious for past Quran-burning episodes and who is reportedly connected to the film.
The Gov has made a Mess of the situation itself. What else would one say, as every thing is crystal clear.
Seriously man?? How can you blame this on the Government too? I think its the people who have become retarded and intolerant.. Allah help us all from this new age of Jaahlia..
How these people tolerate rulers who are acting against the teachings of the prophet
Mullah, army and America they all are joining hands for this show to create disturbance in already disturbed Pakistan.How this mess is being created and escalated that people are forgetting what are real problems of Pakistan and indulging in such a conflict which has no end..
Inept politicians are a big part of this mess too. Knowing the history of how people react in this nation, how come the video link was not preemptly blocked soon after violence broke out in Syria? Mullah's are the inciters, there should be no doubt about it, but I am not sure how the army is responsible for this particular mess? The US government has been distancing itself with this video right from the beginning because it does not have anything to do with it. Why don't those who are hell bent in destroying their own properties in 'protest' take the film-makers to the court? There is now a new development in France where a newspaper has published cartoons of prophet Mohammad mocking him. So, now, people are going to react again and start burning their 'own' property. For how long can this nonsense go own? Are people going to burn the whole country to protest something that has absolutely no impact on the initiator? Untill this is resolved in a civilized way, the inciters will keep bringing it up to see the 'Tamasha' created by the Muslims.
amir, it has nothing to do with video, lot of these people may have not even seen it. This is just a Muslim pastime.
The right to demonstrate is a fundamental right in every society but it is only in Pakistan*(The land of pure( that people have the right of demonstration and destruction. What a tragedy. I love Our PROPHET*BPH but i will not kill in his name. He will not have approved of it. We are being provoked and falling into a trap.
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