RAWALPINDI: After their initial battle with police at the Faizabad Interchange, participants of the religious parties’ sit-in spread across the garrison city when security personnel fell back to regroup.

As police had not erected placed barricades on Murree Road, groups of protesters kept slipping out of the cordon and attacked police parties stationed at Faizabad.

They set several motorcycles on fire, damaged private cars and public property since police remained silent spectators, for fear of being injured in case of a clash. At least seven police vans, three police mobiles, four private vehicles and three motorcycles were torched.

Protesters also attacked the residence of former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, damaging the gate and wall of the compound to force their entry inside. Police had to use teargas and batons to disperse the demonstrators, who also damaged shops close to the residence of the ruling party leader.

Hundreds of charged protesters descended on the former minister’s residence to attack the policemen who took refuge there. “As many as 30 injured policemen arrived at the residence of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to take refuge from the protesters,” said a police official.

Protesters also set fire to a nearby CNG station, while a furniture market was also torched.

At Rawat, stick-wielding activists from religious groups hijacked private trucks and other vehicles and blocked Soan Bridge by parking mini-buses there, and nobody was being allowed to pass by the charged young men.

On G.T. Road, the path towards Katchery Chowk, Lahore High Court chowk and Bostan Road was completely blocked by aggressive protesters who did not let anyone cross. Only a few families or women traveling in cars and on motorbikes were being allowed through by the activists of religious group.

The G.T. Road was completely blocked by the protesters from Rawat to Katchery Chowk, Misryal Road and Murree Road.

For a time, it seemed as if there was no police in the city and protesters occupied main crossings, such as Committee Chowk.

An elderly man was seen pleading with protesters to make way for the ambulance, as he had to shift his ailing mother to the Fauji Foundation Hospital. But baton-wielding protesters did not allow the ambulance through for a good 15 minutes.

Tensions further escalated when a mob forced its way into the emergency ward of Benazir Bhutto Hospital to claim the dead bodies of those killed in clashes. They smashed window panes and scattered files everywhere, forcing hospital staff to scramble for safety.

The protesters also set several prison vans on fire, rendering police unable to shift prisoners back Central Jail Adiala. Police said several protesters had been rounded up and shifted to different police stations so that cases could be registered against them under the anti-terrorism act.

Senior official injured on Saturday included City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Israr Ahmed Khan Abbasi, SP Potohar Division Syed Ali, Station House Officer (SHO) New Town Javed Iqbal Mirza, SHO Kallar Syedan Sheikh Qasim, DSP Industrial Circle Islamabad Arif Hussain Shah, SHO I-9 Qasim Niazi and Assistant Commissioner Islamabad Abdul Hadi.

Following the crackdown in Islamabad, protests also broke out in various parts of Taxila, Wah, Hassanabdal and Attock and nearly all entry and exit points of these cities were blocked by protesters.

As soon as the news of the action against Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah spread, supporters of from various religious parties blocked GT Road at various points by burning tyres. The M2 motorway was also blocked by protesters near Taxila.

Protesters gathered at Taxila Chowk, in front of a hotel owned by a local PML-N MPA, blocking traffic on the Rawalpindi-Peshawar route.

Shops remained closed and a complete shutterdown strike was observed in Attock. Commuters were forced to complete their journeys on foot and even ambulances carrying patients remained stuck in traffic for hours.

In Gujar Khan too, religious leaders blocked all traffic on GT Road between Rawalpindi and Lahore.

The participants continue to chant slogans against the PML-N leadership and demanded the resignations of Law Minister Zahid Hamid and Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

The security level at all major airports, including Benazir Bhutto International Airport, was raised to ‘red alert’ to ensure the safety of installations and smooth operation of flights on Saturday night.

A security official said the level of alert was raised to red alert at major airports after clashes broke out between the police and activists of religious in major cities and continued into the night.

Every person entering the airport premises was subjected to a search and verification of tickets and other travel documents.

However, passengers travelling to the airport faced problems as Katchery Chowk, Airport Road and Jhelum Road had been blocked by activists of religious groups, who were not allowing any men to pass. Those accompanied by women and children were being allowed through after questioning.

But in all of this, there was no police force or traffic warden to disperse the protesters and help commuters.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2017