Police fire upon protesters during clash
ISlAmABAd:
Pakistani forces fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas at protesters in Islamabad as they moved to disperse a sit-in that has virtually paralysed the country’s capital for weeks.
The roughly 8,500 elite police and paramilitary troops in riot gear began clearing the 2,000 or so demonstrators soon after dawn, with nearby roads and markets closed.
The sit-in by the little-known hardline group called Tehreek-iLabaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan has blocked a main highway used by thousands of commuters since Nov 6, causing hours-long traffic snarls and enraging commuters.
The protesters are demanding that Pakistan’s law minister Zahid Hamid resign over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the oath that election candidates must swear.
Demonstrators have linked it to blasphemy – a highly contentious issue in Muslim Pakistan – and claim the oath was softened to enable the participation of Ahmadis, a long-per- secuted Islamic minority sect.
Small scuffles had broken out as protesters hurled rocks at police.
Others were detained as security forces began to clear the site. Ambulances could be seen in the area yesterday. Television images showed people standing on top of freight containers that had blocked the roads around the sit-in, and plumes of smoke filling the air.
An Islamabad police official said that the operation sought to avoid any loss of life on either side. — AFP