KARACHI: Police on Sunday baton-charged and used tear gas to disperse the participants of an anti-United States (US) rally titled ‘Death to America’ in Karachi. The rally was organised by Imamia Students Organisation (ISO).
According to reports, police officials had denied permission to the protestors to continue their rally beyond Numaish Chowrangi, but the participants of the rally had decided to hold a demonstration outside US consulate. Thus the police were ordered to resist the movement of the participants, who attempted to march towards the consulate. Heavy contingents of police were also deployed on the MA Jinnah Road among other areas.
Police, in order to disperse the protestors, resorted to baton charge and shelling as the organisers of the rally refused to disperse peacefully. Water cannons were also used against the protestors.
In response to the police brutality, ISO and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) have announced press conferences to denounce police action against ‘peaceful’ protesters.
According to reports, police has also detained some participants of the rally.
The same rally was also carried out on the Canal Bank Road in Lahore as well, causing traffic congestion, but no police action was reported.
Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said that the participants should not have been baton-charged but the consulate’s security and protection was the responsibility of his government. He also claimed that one of the delegations was asked to take the rally’s memorandum to the US embassy.
The protest comes after US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of playing a double-game earlier this week when he announced his new Afghan-policy which aims to send more troops to the war-torn country. Pakistan has strongly rejected these accusations.