Capital mayhem as protesters vow not to retreat

• Three confirmed dead, around 500 injured as PTI, PAT protestors continue to clash with police
• Qadri says ‘revolution’ will not end with PM’s resignation now while Khan resolves to get an FIR registered against prime minister, interior minister
• Minister apologises for police torture on journalists, vows to bring culprits to justice
• Defence minister says govt still ready for talks

Sporadic clashes between security personnel and supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) continued Sunday as Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri expressed resolved to not bend to government’s tactics and settle on nothing less than sending the PML-N government home.

Till the filing of this report yesterday, three people had died while around 500 people were injured, including 75 police and FC personnel, due to the continued violence between the protesting parties and security personnel in Islamabad’s Red Zone.

While talking to journalists, the PIMSHospital spokesperson confirmed the death toll, saying that a man named Ghulfam died of an abdominal injury, a dead body of a man was received by the hospital who died of drowning while another man died of heart attack. She said PIMS hospital received 227 injured, another 251 were admitted in PolyClinicHospital while 10 injured were shifted to BenazirBhuttoHospital in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ikram said that more than 300 injured people, including 41 policemen were brought to the hospital after Saturday’s incident.

The clashes began Saturday when the protesters of PTI and PAT approached Prime Minister’s House and other State building. Security personnel resorted to tear gas shelling, baton charge and rubber bullet firing to disperse them.

The protesters have intermittently been attacking the security personnel deployed at state buildings including the Parliament, Presidency, Prime Minister House, Cabinet Block and Pakistan Secretariat on the Constitution Avenue.

MEDIA MEN ATTACKED, RAFIQUE APOLOGIZES:

As the clashes continued, the police also subjected journalists to violence, baton charging them and breaking their equipments.

The incident was followed by an apology by Federal Minister for Railways Khwaja Saad Rafique who said, “I tried to protect journalists as much as I could and it is true that media personnel were beaten up. I went and embraced some of them so they could be stopped – even I got hit.”

During an interview, the minister claimed that the collective attack on media was “planned to make the government look bad”.

The minister said that he constantly kept asking police officers not to damage media vans yet the police officers went violent and manhandled the media personnel and vans.

Rafique vowed that the officers involved in this will definitely be brought to the book for their brutality as they had also embarrassed the government.

NEW ISLAMABAD SSP VOWS TO PROTECT:

After the clashes witnessed a momentary respite yesterday, Islamabad SSP Mohammad Ali Nekukara went on a leave, leaving the post for his next in command who also denied taking charge of the post in the current circumstances.

As the new Islamabad SSP Asmatullah Junejo finally took charge, while speaking to the media, he said that those behind attacks on journalists will be brought to justice.

He vowed to protect innocent protesters and allow food to reach protesters as they are like “brothers of the police”.

“Whoever was responsible for assaulting media persons and bringing disgracing the image of Islamabad police will be held accountable,” he said. He also apologised for the “excessive use of force”.

“Islamabad police will never use excessive force against protesters. We will never use force against women and children who are among the protesters.”

He said that the police have not set the red lines but they have been given the constitutional right to defend certain red lines. He said that those who attacked vehicles have brought disgrace to the Islamabad police.

“Allama Tahirul Qadri is a noble person who does greats work for the common people. Imran Khan is a great leader who is looked up to by millions of people,” he said.

PTI TO GET FIR REGISTERED AGAINST PM, NISAR:

In the meanwhile, disgruntled by the use of force by the government, Khan braced the podium yesterday afternoon and announced that his party would get a First Investigation Report (FIR) registered against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Khan for ordering use of force against protestors in Islamabad.

Addressing his supporters, Khan said that the government has decided to take on the path of violence and has violated international law by tear gas shelling on peaceful protesters.

He said that the whole area around the protesters has been sealed while he along with PAT’s Tahirul Qadri had been listed in a terrorism case. “It is a siege,” he said, appealing to the national and civil servants to stand up against the government which, he said, was ruled by a “fascist”.

He also appealed his supporters to stage countrywide protests, following which Insafians were seen staging protests visibly in Lahore and Karachi along with some other cities as well.

“Two great Pakistanis, SSP Ali Omar and Captain Mustansar have resigned because they refused to fire at protesters. As many as 741 cops have refused to attack unarmed protestors. This is our win!” Khan said.

Imran said he has heard his arrest orders have been issued and threatened, “We have decided that we will shut down Pakistan if this happens.”

He also announced that a Punjab Police DSP Khadija Nasreen also announced her resignation and joined the PTI protest.

Drawing comparisons between Gaza and Pakistan, he asked if his critics would expect the Palestinians to sit silent in the face of atrocities. He also congratulated Tahirul Qadri for standing firm despite illness.

QADRI WON’T STOP AT FIR NOW:

On the other hand, when PAT chief Tahirul Qadri made his appearance amidst his protesters, he started his speech denouncing the police oppression saying, “Now it won’t end with their resignations.”

He said that they had only wanted an FIR over ModelTown incident, but now that the government had dealt with the protesters in such a heavy-handed manner, they will not stop with their resignations.

“I will sacrifice myself in fighting against the treatment meted out against my sisters, daughters and party workers,” he said.

Qadri said that it was a great pity that the conditions have become such that those who should work for the country’s betterment were the most corrupt in the country.

The PAT chief alleged that in the whole of Europe, the biggest Asian investors were the Sharif family.

He said Nawaz was interested in governance so far as it helps him with his business.

“These people came to power to engage in corruption and carrying out their businesses. They are corrupt in every respect. Day and night, the only thing these people want to ensure is that they deprive this country of as much of its wealth as they could.”

Qadri said doctors have told him “thirteen people have died”. He said doctors have told him that some 30 people are expected to succumb to their wounds. The government’s crackdown on protesters is worse than what Israel has done to Palestinians in Gaza, he said.

The ministers are lying and it’s completely disgraceful what has happened with members of the media, he said. The government should know that it has committed horrific crimes against Pakistani media and they strongly condemn the assaults, he reiterated.

‘WE ARE STILL OPEN TO TALKS’:

While the two leaders appear unbending in their stances, especially after the clashes broke out, Defence Minister Khwaja Asif said yesterday that the government was still ready for dialogue.

“There is no doubt that the onus is on us. I completely agree and that’s why in the heat of the action last night, we took this initiative that we want to talk,” Khawaja Asif said, adding, “We are also very ashamed of what happened with media personnel.”

To a question, he said, “The government has dealt with the matter with much restraint. It was politicians who made the free judiciary movement successful. I don’t agree with the attitude of the protesting parties.”

“There is an urgency but speculations about any further instability are premature,” Asif said.