Non-supply of gas: Angry protesters burn two police APCs

Islamabad Expressway was blocked for almost five hours and people faced difficulty in moving between the twin cities.

ISLAMABAD:

Hundreds of furious protesters on Friday rallied against continuing gas loadshedding and burnt at least two police vehicles on Islamabad Expressway.

Close to 300 baton-wielding protesters assembled on Islamabad Expressway at around 4pm and blocked the road, all the while chanting slogans and accusing the government of failing to provide domestic gas consumers with any respite despite numerous protests.

“I think the time has come for this issue to be solved on the street, because for the last month we have been on the streets, but the government did not take us seriously,” said Muhammad Aslam, a protestor.

A heavy contingent of police personnel were deployed to try and break up the protest. The situation disintegrated after the police began firing teargas shells as the crowd started picking up stones and pelting them at police and privately-owned vehicles.

At least two armoured personnel carriers (APC) were torched, along with a bus stop along the highway. A number of damaged private vehicles were seen at the protest site as well.

Islamabad Expressway was blocked for almost five hours and people faced immense difficulty in moving between the twin cities. The traffic police diverted all traffic from Airport Road in Rawalpindi on to Murree Road. Vehicles were standing bumper-to-bumper from Faizabad Chowk to IJ Principal road for hours.

According to the police, a majority of the stone-pelting miscreants were young boys, while adding that around a dozen arrests have been made. The traffic police finally opened the road at around 8:30pm.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2011.