Faizabad protesters clash with police

KARACHI: SP Mustafa Tanveer, two police inspectors, one assistant sub inspector (ASI) and 10 cops were injured on Sunday during skirmishes between the law enforcers and Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) workers who have been blocking Faizabad for about two weeks. Over 20 TLP activists were also injured.

The Faizabad protesters attacked a police station in the evening, injuring nine individuals, including police officials as well as two FC personnel. The injured were admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

A case was registered in the Khanna police station, which involves terrorism charges. More charges could be added once a medical report of the injured is made available. According to reports, the protesters, wielding stones and clubs, tried to kidnap SHO Koral Sattar Shah.

So far, 18 cases have been registered against the leadership and participants of the protest. In Lahore, a big rally was staged by Sunni Tehrik disrupting traffic at The Mall. Later a protest meeting was staged outside Nasser Bagh.

Addressing the gathering Sunni Tehreek leader Muhammad Sarwat Ijaz Qadari has warned against the use of power against those observing a sit-in at Faizabad interchange, Islamabad, these days.

He warned that any action against the sit-in observers would ignite such a fire across country which nobody would be able to put out. He said the entire government might face dissolution in its bids to save two ministers.

He said Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, instead of launching an offensive against the sit-in like Tarzen, must tell the nation why an Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav was being given VIP treatment like a guest. He said Pakistan Muslim League-N had lost the democratic and moral logic to continue its rule.

He said now nobody could save Nawaz Sharif and his family from going to jail due to its corruption. He said masses have already given their verdict against Sharifs and now the court was to announce its decision.

He said a march would be held from Karachi to Islamabad if the demands of the sit-in observers were not accepted. He said an important meeting would be held in Lahore on Nov 22 to finalise the future strategy of the party. He also announced schedule of public meetings in different cities of Punjab during the next week.

In Karachi, supporters of a religious group Sunday staged a sit-in to express solidarity with protesters of Islamabad. The sit-in was staged at the Numaish Chowrangi, which triggered massive traffic jam at Guru Mandir, Numaish and MA Jinnah Road.