ISLAMABAD: Police in Islamabad fired warning shots and used tear gas to stop protests that started because of a bus fare increase, on Friday.
The protests started Thursday when students and residents blocked a key road in Islamabad’s Bara Kahu neighborhood, unhappy with the 20 per cent increase in bus fares, said police official Bin Yamin.
One student was hit by a bullet Thursday, and doctors said his condition was stable.
Pakistani riot police flee stone-throwing demonstrators during clashes between police and protesters at the main intersection linking Rawalpindi and Islamabad, in Islamabad on March 19, 2010. – AFP
On Friday, rock-throwing protesters blocked a main road to Islamabad’s airport, police official Mohammed Iqbal said.
Iqbal said the violence prompted the government to rescind the fare increase late Thursday, but the protests continued Friday with students demanding the release of protesters arrested the day before. Protesters said more than a dozen students were in police custody.
Television news footage Friday showed students throwing stones at police officers, who were using tear gas and batons, and firing shotguns and pistols into the air, to try to restore order.
The angry mob also attacked a UN official’s vehicle as the member of the UN team probing the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto tried to reach Islamabad from the airport.
The protestors also targeted public vehicles, ambulances and media personnel.
A number of commuters faced problems as public transport came to a halt and protestors blocked the main roads connecting Islamabad with Rawalpindi and Murree through Faizabad flyover.
As the protests reached its peak, the Capital police made desperate calls for reinforcement. But, the Punjab police and Rangers stood by as silent spectators.
At a time when the threat of terrorism is testing the professionalism of security forces, the protesters exposed the under belly of coordination between Rangers, Punjab Police and the Islamabad administration.
Leader of the house in Senate, Nayyar Bokhari informed the house that fare list for public transport had been suspended.
At least two hundred protestors were arrested in the Friday evening, bringing an end to the day long pitched battles between the police and the protestors. – DawnNews
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