The police aided by paramilitary Rangers and Frontier Constabulary on Saturday lunched a massive operation against activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan religious groups who had blocked a key highway to Islamabad for nearly three weeks.
Pakistan’s government has called in the army to restore order after clashes between police and protesters belonging to hardline religious groups killed six people and injured more than 200 others in the capital. The police aided by paramilitary Rangers and Frontier Constabulary on Saturday lunched a massive operation against activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan religious groups who had blocked a key highway to Islamabad for nearly three weeks.
Police and paramilitary forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the protesters to disperse them. However, the security forces pulled back after the crackdown turned deadly. At least six people were killed in clashes on Saturday, Dawn reported. It also said that no security personnel was killed but at least nine senior police officers were injured including Rawalpindi city police chief Israr Abbasi.
According to health officials, more than 200 people, including at least 95 security personnel, were injured in the clashes and shifted to various hospitals. The Interior Ministry last night issued a statutory regulatory order to authorize the deployment of the army to control the law and order situation in the capital. Official sources said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa are expected to hold a meeting to discuss the situation after the government sought deployment of the army in the capital. However, the army said it needed clarification on some points before moving in to control the situation.
