‘Revolution’ spills over

Thousands of charged PAT and PTI workers clash with police after leaders announce march toward Prime Minister House

Clashes erupt after PAT supporters attempt to break gates of President’s House, forcing police to fire tear gas and rubber bullets

Protesters break fence of Parliament House but abstain from confronting army personnel

Khan tells followers not to retreat as defence minister says no one will be allowed to storm state buildings

Violent clashes broke out in the federal capital on Saturday night after thousands of protesters led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri tried to march toward the official residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Khan and Qadri said they planned to protest outside the PM House, across the “red line” drawn by the government. Armed with sticks and batons, many wearing gas masks and goggles, the protesters tried to break through police cordons and attempted to remove shipping containers, which had blocked a road leading to the Prime Minister’s House, with the help of a big crane.

Thousands of policemen deployed on the site gave way to the marching protesters but violence broke out when Qadri’s supporters, who were leading the march, attempted to break the gates of the President’s House, forcing the police and FC personnel to resort to firing tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the mob. The crane and its driver were immediately taken into custody.

A clash ensued in which police and the protesters pelted stones at each other and were seen fighting each other with batons and sticks. Over 100 people, including police officers and women protesters, were reported injured during the clashes as police attempted to push the protesters away from the Prime Minister’s House.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also arrived on the scene to supervise the police operation. He said the police were forced to fire tear gas shells when the protesters tried to occupy the prime minister and parliament houses.

Soon after the interior minister left the scene, leaders of both parties told the retreating protesters not to back down and push further as per plan, which led to more clashes.

In the meantime, PAT supporters rammed a truck into the fence of Parliament House, paving way for the protesters to enter the lawns of the premises. However, the mobs were warned by army personnel, who had been delegated security of all important state buildings, not to proceed further following which the mobs halted their movement.

On the roads of the vicinity, the PTI and PAT protesters set fire to two vehicles of the police and Rangers while several trees and bushes were also torched, presenting the scene of a battlefield.

Imran Khan and Qadri remained confined in their vehicles, making TV statements that they were unable to come out because of tear gas in the air.

Khan claimed that one woman activist of his party was killed in “police firing” and said he will file a murder case against the prime minister and the interior minister. He also asked his supporters to take to the streets across the country. However, Khan’s claim of the woman’s death could not be confirmed independently.

The injured, mostly hit by tear gas shells, stones and batons, were shifted to two main hospitals in Islamabad. A high alert was also declared in hospitals in the nearby Rawalpindi.

A government spokesman said that dozens of protesters have been arrested for attacks on the security forces.

Before charging towards the heavily guarded government building, both Khan and Qadri had said that their supporters would remain peaceful.

“I am a decent man,” Qadri had said in a speech to his supporters. “I have been fighting for peace. I have lived for peace. I will die for peace. There will be no violence at all,” he said.

Khan had also warned security forces not to stop the marchers from assembling outside the prime minister’s residence.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the government was compelled to use force after protesters tried to storm important buildings that symbolised the state.

“They violated the last line that we had drawn,” Asif said. “Negotiations cannot go on when a gun is pointed at our temples.”

Clashes were continuing when this report was made at 3am on Sunday as Khan and Qadri kept persuading their supporters not to back down.

The PTI chairman made repeated announcements from atop his container that all people should congregate at D-Chowk where the party would announce its future line of action. But at the same time he made it clear that PTI would stage a sit-in outside PM’s House “come what may”, adding that he would not settle on anything less than the PM’s resignation.

PTI, MQM give calls for strike today:

Meanwhile, Imran Khan has given a call for a countrywide strike for today (Sunday).

Khan’s call for strike was echoed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chairman Altaf Hussain who asked his supporters to observe a day of mourning in Sindh on Sunday.

Khan said that by resorting to violence the government had provoked the PTI to respond in kind. He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan were responsible for the violence, calling on his supporters not to spare them if anything were to happen to him.

MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi, one of the members of the mediating committee with the PAT, said, “Our effort was to prevent a law and order situation for which the government will have to use force. Now we have no choice but to stand with the victims. For this reason, the MQM has announced a countrywide strike.”

Later, MQM chief Altaf Hussain demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to voluntarily resign from his position.