ISLAMABAD: Early on Monday morning, as a thunderstorm lashed the capital, protesters from the Pakistan Awami Tehreek and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf clashed with police on Constitution Avenue in a bid to press on towards the Prime Minister House, further into the heart of the high security zone.

High-speed winds and the rain made it difficult for police to respond effectively, as teargas shells became ineffective and the wet conditions began to favour the demonstrators, who were looking for any chink in the security armour around the Cabinet Division and Pakistan Secretariat.

Just after 7am, a mob armed with sticks, stones and improvised Molotov Cocktails attacked the container-blockade at the gate to the Cabinet Division. They set fire to the containers and, repulsing police deployed around the area, managed to breach the cordon around the Secretariat.

Muhammad Tanzil Iqbal, a PAT supporter from Mandi Bahauddin said that at around 7:30am, protesters decided to move towards Pak Secretariat.

Helped by early morning thunderstorm, advancing mobs force police to retreat

“It was raining so we knew that teargas would not be effective against us. Police initially resisted but when SSP Asmatullah Junejo was injured, they began to retreat,” he said.

Security personnel retreated to Secretariat Chowk, but were chased away from the area by an unruly mob that charged them. In the melee that ensued, several individuals were able to make it inside the Pakistan Secretariat, which had tentatively opened for business hours. Vehicles were smashed as protesters ran amok within Islamabad’s Whitehall – the seat of the bureaucracy.

The police contingent was being directed by newly appointed SSP Asmatullah

Around this time, Dr Tahirul Qadri appeared atop his container and following a nod to PTI chief Imran Khan on the container opposite his, ordered his followers to rush towards the PM House. Shortly thereafter, he announced that his workers had taken over the gate to the PM House and that no one could come and go without their say-so.

Police used teargas and fired rubber bullets but in the end it decided to retreat due to which protesters succeeded to enter in Pak Secretariat and at the gate of PM House.

“We entered the Pak Secretariat, but there, army officials instructed us to leave so we gathered in front of the gate to the PM House,” Iqbal said.

PTV Reporter Omer Farooq told Dawn, “The protesters tried to move towards Punjab House but they were pushed back. They entered PTV at around 10:50am and were evicted by army personnel just before noon,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rangers personnel intercepted protesters who made it to the gate of the PM House.

Dr Qadri’s son in-law, Raja Zahid Mehmood also came with the demonstrators to the PM House gate, while local PAT leaders Sajid Mehmood Bhatti, Qazi Idrees and others delivered speeches on the occasion.

But as the afternoon wore on and the occupation of PTV ended, protesters found renewed vigour and tried to head down Constitution Avenue again, towards Punjab House, shouting full-throated slogans along the way.

Persistent in their onslaught, the demonstrators pushed the police contingent on the thoroughfare right back to the edge of Constitution Avenue, to the junction with Margalla Road. Here, pitched battles between police and protesters were witnessed as Rangers and military personnel looked on dispassionately.

Meanwhile, police attempts to retake control of Secretariat Chowk were also thwarted by stick-wielding protesters. Police responded with teargas but were greeted with a volley of stones and marbles from the other side.

During the skirmishes, it was evident that police personnel were trying to avoid confrontations but PAT workers kept engaging them.

An elderly PAT supporter, Mohamamd Younis from Faisalabad, was seen passing ammunition in the form of stones along to volunteers from PAT’s fighting force.

“I’m an old man and can’t fight the police. But I’m doing my part by feeding the youngsters these stones,” he said.

“The other day, police didn’t spare anyone. They used brutal force against our women, children and elders, so we have no mercy for them,” he said.

Haji Sultan Muhamamd, a PTI worker from Chitral, told Dawn: “PAT and our party have a one-point agenda: the resignation of the prime minister. Teargas and baton-charges cannot keep us from our mission.”

Women from the PAT camp, meanwhile, were busy supporting their fighting force, passing around wet towels and salt to offset the affects of teargas.

In addition, injured protesters actively avoided going to the hospital and obtained basic first aid from the ambulances parked around Parade Avenue.

“We’re avoiding the hospitals because there are reports that police are picking injured protesters from hospital,” said Muhammad Zaheer, a PAT worker.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2014