SKARDU, Aug 28: The police on Tuesday resorted to baton charge to disperse students, who were protesting at the airport here against unavailability of flights to Islamabad.

Several protesters, including two local journalists, who were covering the event, were injured. The injured were shifted to DHQ hospitalThe students resorted to protest after the federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who arrived here on Monday and was also at the airport during the protest, failed to honour a promise to take the students to their destination with him on a C-130 plane.

The stranded students, foreign tourists and local passengers had gathered at the airport with the hope to get seats in the C-130 plane as per promise by the interior minister.

But the minister left the airport with a few students in the plane.

The students regretted that the interior minister should have arranged an additional flight for the stranded passengers.

The protesters were chanting slogans against the PIA officials and district administration.

The angry students also broke up windowpanes of the airport lounge.

Meanwhile, a joint meeting of the Skardu Press Club, Baltistan Union of Journalists and Baltistan Electronic Media Reporters Association condemned the use of baton by police on journalists.

The meeting was chaired by president press club Nisar Hussain.

The participants demanded of the authorities to take stern action against the police personnel who beat up the journalists.