Qadri’s ‘revolutionaries’ wreak havoc in Punjab

• Two policemen, two PAT workers killed as PAT workers burn down a police station in Khushab, torch police vehicles in Bhera and take several policemen hostage in different cities of the province, including Lahore
• Several police officials and PAT workers injured in clashes that continued throughout the day
• Punjab govt registers two more anti-terrorism cases against Qadri and his followers in Lahore, considering more cases in other cities
• Punjab IG orders removal of blockades across Punjab, as petrol shortage stifles citizens’ movement in Lahore and other cities

Four men, including two Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers and two policeman were killed, scores of others were injured and several policemen were taken hostage as pitched battles took place Saturday between the followers of PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and police in different cities of Punjab as the former tried to move to Lahore for PAT’s Martyrs Day today (Sunday).

A PAT worker died in Multan’s Nishtar Hospital after succumbing to his injuries sustained during a clash in Bhakkar with members of law enforcement agencies while Elite Force Constable Muhammad Fayyaz was killed at Bhera by PAT workers who were incessantly attacking Punjab Police for the last 24 hours.

A PAT worker was also killed and six female party workers were injured as they clashed with the police in Kamoke, Gujranwala.

Clashes between PAT activists and police also took place in Lahore, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Khushab, Okara and Sargodha after authorities were asked not to allow any caravan to reach the provincial capital.

EIGHT POLICE VEHICLES ABLAZE, COPS KIDNAPPED:

Unruly followers of Qadri set eight police vehicles on fire at Bhera in Sargodha while a police station was set on fire in Quaidabad in Khushab as 130 police officers were injured and 25 others made hostages in different parts of the province.

According to the police, PAT workers were using nail-studded sticks, slings, stones, knifes and other weapons in their attacks on police officials on duty. PAT workers during their assaults on police stations of various districts, destroyed the buildings, damaged police vehicles and also snatched weapons from the police.

Gujranwala DPO Waqas Nazir, DSP Rashid Sindhu, DSP Rana Shafique, DSP Abid Ghani, Inspector Ghazanfar, Inspector Khadim, Safdar, SI Irshad Hussain, SI Riaz Hussain, SI Ahmad Shabbir and ASI Nasir were seriously injured among others.

The injured also include nine in Lahore, 55 in Gujranwala, one in Okara, 25 in Bhakkar, 14 in Jhang, 13 in Rawalpindi Regions, nine in Sargodha and four in Toba Tek Singh.

At least 55 policemen injured in clashes with PAT workers in Gujranwala were being provided medical treatment in the district headquarters hospital. Eight out of the 55 injured were reportedly in a critical condition.

Meanwhile, Qadri’s followers kidnapped at least 19 policemen in Attock, Jehlum and Chakwal districts alone. Also in Mianwali and Sargodha, policemen, including a DSP, were taken hostage by protesters. Six policemen were also taken hostage by PAT workers in Lahore.

The PAT workers said they will take more policemen hostage if “provoked” and demanded the release of their arrested colleagues in exchange for the policemen.

Moreover, in Jhelum’s Pind Dadan Khan town, PAT workers held 15 police personnel hostage following a clash. However, a team led by the RPO Sargodha rescued the hostages from the clutches of PAT workers at Bhera Interchange. The hostages with their broken limbs were in critical state and have been admitted to ICUs of Bhalwal Hospital and DHQ Sargodha. The names of the police officials who have been rescued are ASI Arshad Mehmood, ASI Muhammad Aslam, ASI Muhammad Ikram, ASI Mujtaba, HC Amjad Iqbal, Zulfiqar Ali, Muhammad Liaquat, Muhammad Umair Ali, Fakhar Abad, Ansar Abbas, Shehzad Pervaiz, Mumtaz Haider, Nadeem Akram and Tariq.

CASES AGAINST QADRI:

The Punjab government has registered two more cases against PAT chief Qadri and his followers at the Faisal Town Police Station in Lahore for involvement in violence and attacks on government property and personnel.

Police sources told Pakistan Today that the government was considering registration of cases against the PAT leadership in other cities as well.

ROADBLOCKS, CLOSURE OF PETROL PUMPS PARALYZE PROVINCE:

Meanwhile, the Punjab Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Sukhera ordered his men late on Saturday evening to remove the containers from all intersections of the province, including those placed in Model Town, Lahore to allow free movement to the people, who had to suffer much due to the security barricades put up by the government to stop Qadri’s workers from entering the provincial capital.

Lahore DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf told Pakistan Today that efforts to remove barriers from roads in Punjab were underway.

“Our main priority is maintaining the law and order situation in the city,” he said responding to a question whether containers could be placed again.

Long queues of vehicles were seen at all major interchanges of the motorway and at the few petrol stations which continued to provide fuel amidst a shortage of supply caused by the roadblocks.

Scuffles and heated arguments were also witnessed between citizens and policemen at the blockades, and at the petrol filling stations where people struggled to find a place for their vehicles.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Mashhood told Pakistan Today that the government had decided to remove the blockades to allow oil tankers to enter the city so that the fuel shortage could be overcome.

However, Mashhood expressed the government’s resolve not to let Qadri and his men take the law into their own hands and create a state of anarchy in the province by attacking policemen and government property.