Eight people, including two policemen, were injured after aerial firing and pelting of stones by protesters at policemen near Kulsoom Plaza in the federal capital. Police fired tear gas at a growing crowd of protesters who converged on the Parliament House on Tuesday as gunshots were heard and some demonstrators threw stones at security forces near Kulsoom Plaza. Media reports quoting police sources said someone from the crowd fired aerial shots following which police fired tear gas. After the scuffle between police and protesters, members of the Tehrik-e-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) secured their leader and surrounded him for protection. After the incident, Interior Minister Rehman Malik instructed police and Rangers to provide security to Tahirul Qadri. He said Qadri is their guest and it is the responsibility of the police to protect him. Taking serious notice of firing and clashes in the march, Malik directed chief commissioner Islamabad to take strict action to avoid such incidents and summoned an immediate report of the incident. However the minister claimed the participants of the long march have arms with them which he said was a violation of their charter. It was not clear who fired the gunshots. Witnesses saw police fire tear gas shells at the crowd. Protesters were holding sticks and pelted stones at police around 500 yards from the parliament. The protesters also smashed window panes of vehicles. As a result at least two policemen and six protesters sustained injuries. However TMQ leader Umer Riaz Abbasi said the police made an attempt to arrest Dr Tahirul Qadri; however, the administration failed to do so due to immense resistance by the long march participants. Abbasi said Qadri, on board his vehicle, was en route to D-Chowk from Jinnah Avenue; where police personnel deployed at Kulsoom Chowk tried to intercept Qadri’s vehicle to arrest him; but the participants foiled the attempt.
TMQ seeks FIR against Rehman Malik: The Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) filed an application with the Kohsar police for registration of a first information report (FIR) against Interior Minister Rehman Malik and the Islamabad senior superintendent of police for allegedly directing police to fire at Dr Tahirul Qadri’s vehicle. The application was submitted by TMQ Chief Coordinator Haneef Mustafai.