Violent clashes were witnessed throughout Tuesday with security forces using rubber bullets and tear gas to stop the PTI protestors, reports Hamza Ameer
The Islamabad police along with Pakistan Rangers have started a major crackdown operation against PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) protestors in and around the surrounding areas of D-Chowk, arresting at least 400 party workers and pushing back the protestors from there.
The operation has forced many protestors to disperse into surrounding residential sectors of Islamabad, where police and security forces are conducting search operations and nabbing PTI workers.
After PTI protestors led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Bushra Bibi, the wife of Imran Khan, stormed their way into Islamabad, refusing to take any offers from the government, they continued to march towards their announced destination, D-Chowk.
Violent clashes were witnessed throughout Tuesday with security forces using rubber bullets and tear gas to stop the PTI protestors.
However, despite repeated warnings by government officials, PTI protestors kept pushing forward and were able to reach less than a kilometre away from D-Chowk.
Hundreds of PTI protestors were also able to reach D-Chowk as they claimed victory against the government and ridiculed the security forces for failing to stop them from reaching their destination.
However, after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi gave the go-ahead to the Islamabad Inspector General of Police to deal with the situation any way he deems fit; a major crackdown was initiated by Islamabad police, along with Pakistani Rangers, who have used full force against the PTI protestors and pushed them back and out of the Jinnah Avenue and the Blue Area.
As per details, at least 400 protestors have been already arrested, and more arrests are being made.
The operation forced many protestors to flee into the surrounding areas, prompting the security forces to cut electricity in the surrounding areas, call on the people to stay indoors and keep their homes locked, and initiate a search operation against PTI protestors.
Islamabad Police source said that among the protestors, there are at least 200 people with weapons, the people who ran over and killed police and Rangers officials in their vehicle are also present, and the miscreants who attacked and killed Punjab police officials are also present.
The Police source also said that they have intelligence reports of a large number of Afghan nationals present in the PTI protest as well, who have been brought by its leadership to spread unrest and bloodshed in the protest to later blame it on the government
PTI protest leaders — KP CM Gandapur and Bushra Bibi — have also fled the spot amid heavy shelling by security forces.
The PTI leadership claims that Pakistan Rangers have opted to shoot straight gun fire on the protestors, resulting in the killing of at least two of its party workers.
Veteran PTI leader, Sheikh Waqas Akram, said that at least two people have been killed by gunshots of Pakistan Rangers near D-Chowk earlier on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Naqvi and Information Minister Atta Tarar had announced earlier that after the violent clashes and riots by PTI protestors, all doors of negotiations and talks stand shut down, announcing a crackdown against PTI protestors.
The latest operation is being seen as a strategic and effective response by the security forces against PTI workers in Islamabad, pushing them back far away from D-Chowk, tracking and tracing dispersed protestors in surrounding areas, shutting down all offices, shops, petrol pumps, and electricity of the main Jinnah Avenue, Blue area and the surrounding residential areas and arresting any PTI protestor seen in the area.
Police authorities claim that they will continue the crackdown against PTI workers throughout the night and will not spare anyone trying to spread unrest.
It is also expected that KP CM Gandapur and Bushra Bibi may also be tracked down and arrested in this ongoing operation.