Army called in to protect ‘Red Zone’
Pakistan Opposition leader Imran Khan and cleric Tahirul Qadri late on Thursday night marched with thousands of their supporters into the heavily fortified ‘Red Zone’, the capital’s diplomatic and political enclave, as minor clashes took place between anti-Government protesters and security personnel.
“Promise me, if something were to happen to me, you will take revenge from Nawaz Sharif,” Khan said, while addressing his supporters before starting his march towards the Red Zone that houses important Government buildings, including the Parliament House, Prime Minister House, President House, the Supreme Court, besides embassies of various countries.
Unfazed by Army deployment, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief and Qadri marched towards the Parliament demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation. Police baton-charged Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) protesters as they neared the Parliament. “Tehreek-i-Insaf workers injured by police baton charge ahead Serena chowk...
Ambulance called there for first Aid,” the PTI party said on Twitter. Anti-Government protesters entered the Red Zone, even as clashes took place between them and the police at Serena Chowk where they removed shipping containers, Dunya TV reported. Police was not putting up stern resistance and slowly retreated as part of policy to avoid violence. The protestors of Khan and Qadri started separately but later were moving towards the Parliament together.
Information minister Pervaiz Rashid told Geo TV that the marchers have violated written commitment that they will not enter the Red Zone. “They have women and children with them. So the Government has decided to show maximum restraint. They want dead bodies but we will not give them the opportunity despite provocations,” he said.
“I’m coming! I’m coming to hold you accountable!” Khan said, as his vehicle progressed towards the Red Zone. Anti-Government protesters were armed with wire cutters and cranes accompanied them to remove containers.
Prime Minister Sharif has said he will not resign under any circumstance, Dawn News reported quoting sources. The PTI chief strictly prohibited the protesters from entering into or occupying any building located in the Diplomatic Enclave including the Parliament House.
“We will only march peacefully towards the ‘illegal’ Parliament House and stage a sit-in in front of it. We will convert the Red Zone into the Green Zone,” he said.
“Our Azadi March is constitutional & democratic,” the cricketer-turned-politician, who spent the night in a shipping container at the site of the sit-in, said. Khan is protesting the alleged vote rigging in last year’s polls. In the polls, Sharif’s PMl-N had won 190 out of 342 seats. Khan’s PTI got 34 seats, the third largest bloc in the legislature.
Earlier, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said the Government has decided to hand over the security of the ‘Red Zone’ to Army to prevent protesters from entering it. “We have decided to hand the security of Islamabad’s Red Zone to the army,” he said.