Tackling marchers: Police, FC strategy comes under fire

Saad Rafique attacked by security personnel; condemns assault on journalists by police

ISLAMABAD: Security personnel were unable to effectively deal with protesters in Islamabad on Sunday because of the absence of proper planning and coordination under senior police officials. As a result, the situation escalated into chaos and produced uncertainty.

Also, security personnel showed a fairly emotional and uncoordinated response to controlling the mob.

Lack of planning

Interestingly, there were no senior officers on duty at the time of the skirmishes. Even deputy superintendents were not present to direct the security personnel and protect the media personnel from being harassed.

The security personnel also faced enormous challenges in quelling the protests. Two policemen were captured by the protesters near the Pak Secretariat gate and severely beaten.

Senior officers were issuing orders through wireless sets. The police officials on the ground ignored the orders and dealt with the mob in an arbitrary fashion.

There was also a lack of coordination between the Islamabad and Punjab police and the Frontier Constabulary (FC).There was no cohesive strategy to prevent them from regrouping and proceeding towards the Prime Minister House, added observers.

Interestingly, the Islamabad police avoided the forefront and remained behind the FC and Punjab police. Eyewitnesses revealed that security personnel acted in a state of panic. They continuously pelted stones, fired teargas shells and rubber bullets at the protesters.

Defensive strategy

Moreover, several journalists also came in the line of fire. Azam Khan, a reporter at The Express Tribune, was attacked on Saturday.



Several reporters and technicians from various news channels were baton-charged. Their cameras were broken and vehicles damaged.

The police also resorted to needless name-calling tactics against the media and allegedly held them responsible for the ongoing political turmoil.

Security personnel also chased journalists, pulled them out of their vehicles and deliberately used tear-gas on them.

Federal Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique was also manhandled by the police when he arrived at the scene as most policemen did not recognise him. Although he tried to resist the attack, the policemen informed him they were answerable to their bosses and not to him.

Speaking to the media, Saad Rafique strongly condemned the brutal assault on journalists and promised to bring it to the notice of Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar.

A senior police officer said that everything was going according to plan. He denied the lack of coordination between the police forces and insisted that both forces acted in unison to quell the protest.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2014.