• Army called in capital
• Police arrest over 200 PTI supporters, including Asad Umar
• Tarnol railway track uprooted, SP Industrial Area office set on fire
• 190 detained in Rawalpindi
• ex-PTI minister booked for attacking GHQ

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: Police Lines Chowk at Srinagar Highway remained a battleground for over six hours as PTI supporters made desperate efforts to reach the police headquarters where their party chief Imran Khan was detained and a makeshift court was set up for hearing cases against him.

In order to control the situation, the army was also called under Article 245 at the request of the Islamabad chief commissioner. The deployment was made at different points, including Red Zone, to maintain law and order situation, according to the administration.

The police registered five FIRs at different police stations in connection with violence on Tuesday and also detained PTI leader Asad Umar in addition to over 200 supporters of the PTI from different areas, including the sites of protests. They were being detained at the police headquarters.

Earlier, PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan was brought to Police Lines Headquarters after 3am, from an undisclosed location, where he was taken from NAB’s G-6 office. He was detained at the Officers’ Mess of the police headquarters.

The capital administration also set up a court at the ‘New Police Guest House’ at the headquarters for proceedings against Mr Khan in the Toshakhana case. The court was set up inside the Police Lines Headquarters keeping in view the prevailing law and order situation.

Transportation of the PTI chief to a court from the headquarters was considered a tough task for the police and it was feared that it would create a law and order situation in F-8 and G-11/4.

Earlier, a contingent of 1,500 policemen was deployed around the Police Lines headquarters before the PTI chairman was brought there, the officers said, adding that containers were also placed on both sides of Faqir Aipee Road to block access to the headquarters.

Around 12pm, supporters of Imran Khan started reaching the headquarters and a physical confrontation ensued between the police and the protesters. The protesters included people from all strata of society, including women and minors: luxury vehicles, including SUVs, were also found parked on both sides of Srinagar Highway.

Shortly after the confrontation started, the chowk turned into a battlefield as protesters fought pitched battles with the police. The violence continued till this report was filed.

The office of the SP Industrial Area office was also set on fire, the officers said, adding that office records, furniture and vehicles parked inside were burnt down by the protesters.

The protesters armed with slingshots and sticks targeted law enforcers and also set on fire police vehicles, including an APC, on Srinagar Highway, they added.

The police led by DIG Operation and CTD SSP used all available resources – teargas, rubber bullets and baton-charge – to disperse the protesters, but their successes were short-lived.

Due to the massive use of teargas and rubber bullets, the supplies were replenished several times. However, the PTI protesters gave a tough time to the law enforcers, causing injuries to over a dozen law enforcers. Meanwhile, at least five policemen sustained ‘firearm’ injuries, according to the police.

In Tarnol, a group of over 200 protesters uprooted a railway track as police made unsuccessful attempts to disperse them. A contingent of Rangers and the DIG Operations with a police squad left for Tarnol to counter the mob. At Chungi No 26, a mob roughed up a group of five policemen. An angry mob also attacked Ramna police station, tore down its main gate and set three motorcycles on fire, they added.

Violent scenes were witnessed at Rawat, T-Cross and Tramari Chowk, and over 2,000 policemen, 1,000 FC and Rangers were also deployed in different localities of the capital. The Red Zone was partially sealed as well.

In the afternoon, Faizabad was closed by the workers and supporters of the PTI. On the other hand, different areas of the city remained either sealed or no-go areas. The areas in the vicinity of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office in G-6 and Red Zone also remained sealed.

Moreover, PTI claimed that unknown people continued their raids on PTI leaders’ homes to arrest the PTI leaders and workers without any warrants. “The Islamabad police carried out a number of raids on the houses of the PTI leaders without warrants in the federal capital. PTI Islamabad General Secretary and UC-37 Chairman Sajid Ali Qureshi’s house was raided by the police… raid on the office of UC 36 Chairman Raja Faisal [was also carried out],” a statement issued by PTI stated.

Rawalpindi

In Rawalpindi, police booked more than 1,500 PTI supporters and detained over 190 workers – 52 were sent to Adiala jail after they were produced in an anti-terrorism court. FIRs were registered at the R.A. Bazaar, Sadiqabad, New Town, City, Morgah and Race Course police stations on various criminal charges, including Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. R.A. Bazaar police booked about 250 to 300 workers of the PTI, including former minister Raja Basharat, in connection with an attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ).

SI Malik Mohammad Riaz said in the FIR that he was on duty on Tuesday with his subordinates opposite Gate No. 1 of the GHQ when 250 to 300 individuals, shouting slogans against the army appeared from Saddar.

He said that the protesters were carrying batons and petrol bombs and were led by former provincial minister Raja Basharat and Khalid Jadoon.

The protesters, incited by their leaders, stormed the gate even though they were stopped by the soldiers on duty but they offered resistance and blocked The Mall by setting old tyres on fire, the FIR added.

As per the FIR, enraged protesters damaged the GHQ building. They also hurled petrol bombs which caused a fire.

He said six protesters were captured, including the son of a retired colonel, while the remaining protesters escaped after causing damage to the army property.

An FIR registered by Mohammad Saeed, sub-inspector posted at Waris Khan police station, under Section 7 of ATA said the protesters attacked the police and public property with petrol bombs and also damaged a metro bus station in Rawalpindi.

The Race Course police booked seven party supporters on charges of violating Section 144. An FIR was registered with the Morgah police on the complaint of SI Mohammad Waqas against the 200-250 supporters of PTI who were led by PTI former MPA Chaudhry Amjad.

The protesters, incited by the former MPA and Bilal Miskeen, reportedly attacked the check post with sticks and stones and smashed the signboards. Police said that five of the protesters were detained while the remaining others managed to escape. Police said that raids were underway to arrest all those identified in the FIRs and also those who could be identified in CCTV images.

In Hazro, the police registered a case against PTI Attock chapter president Qazi Ahmed Akbar and 72 other persons for taking DSP Jehangir Joya hostage and torture of 10 police officials during a demonstration near Hattian.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2023