ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: As the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) began an operation on Saturday as per the directives of Islamabad High Court (IHC) to vacate the Faizabad from sit-in protesters, demonstrations have erupted in various Cities against the crackdown on religious parties.
Around 8,000 LEAs personnel including of police, Frontier Constabulary (FC), Rangers launched the operation at Faizabad Interchange at 7:30 am, aimed at the end the 20-day long Islamabad siege.
The operation began after Friday midnight deadline given by the Islamabad administration to protesters belonging to Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah and Sunni Tehreek expired.
The LEAs personnel have surrounded the protester from all sides, and are using tear gas and water cannons to disperse them. While protesters are pelting stones on security personnel in retaliation.
Resultantly, a number of protesters and security personnel have been injured and admitted in Twin Cities’ hospitals which had already been put on high alert.
Unfortunately one police official was martyred after stones hurled by protesters struck his head.
Sources said that so far out of over 100 injured persons including security persons, 80 were were brought to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and 40 to Polyclinic for medical treatment.
More than 300 protesters have also been apprehended by LEAs personnel while helicopters are also hovering over Faizabad to monitored the operation.
Protestors have also set two vehicles on fire in Faizabad.
Meanwhile as a result of Faizabad crackdown, protests have erupted in Bhara Kahu and Chak Shahzad areas of Islamabad. The protesters have burnt the tyres and blocked the roads.
Markets and educational institutions have also been shut down in these areas.
Likewise, a large number of people thronged roads in various other Cities as well including in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Okara, Karachi, and Jalalpur Bhattian etc.
The protests have blocked the roads and chanted slogans against the security forces’ operation at Faizabad.
Following the launching of Faizabad operation and subsequent protests in various Cities, Motorway 2 and Motorway 3 have also been closed.
Separately, the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat has also decided to block roads in different Cities in response to operation at Faizabad. The party decided that sit-ins would be staged in whole Country.
Talking to media, the Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that FC and LEAs personnel are using tear gas against protestors. He said that no police personnel is carrying weapons.
The minister said that the only motive behind the operation is to disperse sit-in protestors, adding that the police will be deployed at sit-in site after clearance.
Sources said that Pir of Golra Sharif Syed Ghulam Nizamuddin Jami contacted Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah Chief Maulana Khadim Hussain Rizvi and advised him to surrender.
