Street fights in Punjab, Lahore becomes battle zone!

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  • PAT workers clash with policemen in Lahore’s Model Town area, injured people include police and political workers
  • Qadri’s followers scuffle with police in other cities as well as law enforcement agencies crack down on PAT and TMQ workers
  • Govt sources say chief minister has signed orders for Tairul Qadri’s arrest
  • Law minister says ‘Qadri’s destination is behind the bars’
  • Punjab govt asks Interior Ministry to deploy Rangers for Lahore security

 

Amidst reports that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has given orders for the arrest of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, followers of the preacher-politician engaged in violent clashes with the police in various cities of Punjab, particularly in Lahore where they tried to remove containers placed by the police on roads leading to the Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Model Town, resulting in injuries to several policemen and political workers.

Sources told Pakistan Today that the chief minister had issued orders for Qadri’s arrest after his baton-wielding followers clashed with policemen in Model Town in which several policemen and PAT workers were seriously injured, and police had to resort to firing tear-gas shells at the protesters.

Sources added that the government has also recommended to the federal government that Qadri’s name should be put in the Exit Control List (ECL).

Talking to Pakistan Today, PAT central leader Rahiq Abbasi said that their workers will not allow any attempt to put Qadri under house arrest. He added that the entire nation was watching on news channels the atrocities being carried out by the Punjab Police against their party workers.

“Every street and neighbourhood in Lahore will be turned into a war zone if our leader is put under arrest,” he vowed.

On the other hand, Punjab Law Minister Rana Mashood alleged that Qadri and his followers were conspiring to disrupt the ongoing military offensive, Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan Agency. He claimed that the PAT chief and his supporters had planned to attack seven districts in Punjab, and said that the police would not allow anyone to disrupt peace in the province which is why roadblocks had been set up at important intersections of the province to stop the “miscreants”.

“Qadri’s only destination now is behind bars,” said the Punjab law minister.

CLASHES IN LAHORE AND PUNJAB:

The situation turned tense in Lahore’s Model Town area where a large number of PAT workers broke through a police cordon blocking main entrances leading to the Minhajul Quran Secretariat.

Television footage showed PAT workers armed with clubs chasing policemen stationed in the area. The youth wings of PAT and Tehreek Minhajul Quran armed with clubs were roaming the streets around the secretariat.

PAT spokesman Qazi Faiz had earlier given a two-hour deadline to the government to remove the containers else their party workers would do the job themselves. Soon after his statement, scores of PAT youths took to the roads in Model Town and engaged in clashes with the police.

DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf told Pakistan Today that the barricades would not be removed at any cost, and that additional police contingents had been deployed to bring the situation under control.

The situation remains tense in other cities as well as five police officials sustained serious injuries during clashes with PAT activists in Quaidabad district of Khushab. PAT workers also allegedly set a police station on fire in Quaidabad.

Police have blocked all important intersections of Bhakkar, Khushab, Sargodha, and other districts of the regions and all vehicles are being checked to identify PAT workers trying to reach Lahore.

In Sargodha, police detained more than 35 PAT workers while raids were also conducted in Daggar Olakh, Bhakkar to arrest political workers.

RANGERS DEPLOYMENT IN LAHORE:

The Punjab government has also decided to deploy Rangers in Lahore to ensure security in the provincial capital.

The government had asked the Interior Ministry to deploy Rangers in Lahore until August 14, following which five companies of the paramilitary force have been tasked with securing important locations, including Governor’s House.

The imposition of Article 245 is not required to deploy Rangers in Lahore.

The government is also considering blocking cellular phone services in the Model Town area but no decision has been taken in this regard by the time this report was made.

7 COMMENTS

  1. quadri said- nawaz sharif shall not be pm on 1 sept 2014 ..–IMRANKHAN SHALL BE PM ..-SO SAID QUADRI-PAKISTAN KINGMAKER

  2. Muslims in Islamic Pakistan be ready war is comming at you doors! it's time to be ready get training to combat of all kinds from lathi, knife, judo, karate, firearms, hand to hand fight of all kinds it's important for Muslims of all Islamic schools from 10-years to 99-years! to get training be ready! dont tell you dont know! a supporter of Islamic Shariat Laws in Islamic Pakistan, Death to english zionism in Islamic Pakistan, Long Live Islamic Pakistan

  3. Tell me is this Democracy? Have you ever seen such scenes in a Military regime? Late Ayub Khan resigned when a riot engineered by ZA Bhutto resulted in loss of one life.Here in so-called sham jamhooryat the CM SHOEBAZ who is directly responsible for killing of 14 men women and young boys does not have the courage to resign becausehe is GUILTY. Rest assured he will get what is due to him and the day is not far.

  4. Country is in war against terrorism and now internal disturbance started, what will happen with the people of Pakistan & the country. I am not for any person or the party but this is not the time to create such kind of situation. How much burden the leaders will put on the shoulders of Brave & Great Army of Pakistan. On long rum who will suffer and who is the looser that is country a common man, leaders will disappear(who ever is) I hope every one will think by the brain and not by the heart. We should tolerate each other and the wealth which is being wasted in these deeds should be spent for the betterment of the poor & homeless people who left their houses. May Allah bless our beloved country and keep all Pakistanis under His shelter. Nawaz Uppal

    • Shame on you qadri and IMRAN. Are you educated? You both know how other county people and political parties behaviou.

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