Federal capital remains disrupted

Protesters torch container; garbage heaps have
made environment foul; sit-in leaders say they
will hold talks only with ministers

ISLAMABAD: Routine business in the federal capital on Monday remained disrupted as protesters belonging to the Sunni Tehreek torched a container, placed in the Red Zone as a barricade to protect important government buildings, on fire.

The situation in the Red Zone deteriorated as heaps of trash and human waste on the green belts had made the whole environment foul. There were no phone signals throughout the day in the twin cities. All roads from China Chowk to the Parliament House were blocked with a heavy deployment of police. Surveillance of the area by police, Rangers and Army helicopters continued throughout the day. “Sounds of speeches and sirens of police vehicles kept us awake all night. We feared action by the government at any time. The situation is still the same,” said a resident of the government quarters near D-Chowk.

Meanwhile, the supporters of Mumtaz Qadri staging a protest at D-Chowk refused to negotiate with the Islamabad district authorities insisting on holding talks with top government officials, no less than the National Assembly speaker or the finance minister.

The leader of the protesters, Sarwat Ijaz Qadri, demanded of the government to send senior ministers for negotiations, saying that they would not talk to the powerless authorities.

On the other hand, Islamabad police also ruled out negotiations with protesters until they vacated the Parade Avenue in the Red Zone. The authorities, however, succeeded in preventing the protesters from marching deep into the Red Zone.

Meanwhile, army troops reached the spot and started controlling the situation. The protesters demanded that the government should scrap any plans to amend the blasphemy laws and execute all those convicted of blasphemy including Asia Bibi. They also called upon the government to declare Mumtaz Qadri a Shaheed (martyr) and announce a public holiday on his name.

Meanwhile, the protest leaders made speeches on a makeshift stage. Sources said around 3,000 supporters of Mumtaz Qadri continued their sit-in outside the Parliament House and other key government installations for a second day on Monday.