ISLAMABAD: The Army was called in on Thursday to prevent close to 3,000 angry protesters from entering the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad during a protest against the anti-Islam film.
The US Embassy is one kilometre away from the entrance of the diplomatic enclave and there are no barriers inside. According to Express News correspondent Qamarul Munawar, if the protesters, who are present at the gate of the enclave, manage to break through, then it will result in chaos.
He added that the Army was called in as the police shelling remained ineffective in controlling the protesters.
Express News correspondent Haider Naseem reported that the protesters coming from Rawalpindi to Islamabad headed back after the police hurled tear gas at them.
Around 50 protesters and 38 police officials were injured during the riots who were shifted to the Polyclinic hospital.
An ulema delegation met with the IG Police and chief commissioner and agreed on a deal. Maulana Zahoor Alvi confirmed that the arrested protesters were also released.
SSP Traffic Police Islamabad Dr Moeen Masood told Radio Pakistan that the red zone of Islamabad will remain closed on Friday for traffic.
He said that the normal traffic would ply between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi as well as within Islamabad.
Dr Masood added that 274 Islamabad police personnel were deployed for controlling traffic and they would remain alert on Friday as well.
Mobile services will also remain suspended in Islamabad tomorrow (Friday) from 9am-11pm to avoid any untoward incident.
Islamabad's heavily-guarded diplomatic enclave is home to most Western embassies, including the US, British and French missions.
Earlier during the protest, police fired live rounds and tear gas to break up a crowd of students, many armed with wooden clubs.
The crudely made Innocence of Muslims has triggered protests in at least 20 countries since excerpts were posted online, and more than 30 people have been killed in violence linked to the film.
There have been dozens of protests around Pakistan over the past week and at least two people have been killed, but Thursday is the first time protests in the capital have turned violent.
Police fired tear gas and live rounds as the protesters, chanting "We are ready to die to safeguard the Prophet's (pbuh) honour," tried to break through a barrier of truck containers set up to block access to the diplomatic enclave.
"I was ordered by my boss to disperse the crowd and that is why I had to open live fire but the aim was nearby trees and not the demonstrators," Zaman Khan, a police officer deployed at the picket said.
The firing forced the protesters to scatter, but they returned later to pelt the police picket with stones.
Student Asif Mehmood demanded police let the protesters through to the US embassy and urged harsh treatment for American pastor Terry Jones, notorious for past Quran-burning episodes and who is reportedly connected to the film.
"Terry Jones and the filmmaker should be sternly punished for playing with the feelings of Muslims. We will not tolerate this blasphemy," Mehmood said.
Fellow protester Rehan Ahmad said: "Islam is often ridiculed by America and the West and blasphemy is committed against our Prophet (pbuh) in the name of freedom of expression."
COMMENTS (94)
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We are not a a nation, we are a mob ! How do deal with a mob ? Let the police do whats its doing, read nothing, and give Army the powers to police the country (not take over just let them act as a parallel force). Let the Army up investigative units and forensic labs and starts investigating one crime at a time. This is the only way forward because revamping the police system will never happen and Pakistan doesn't have the money or the will to do it.
@Amitabh Bachchan: Pakistan has rarely got a selfless ruler or governing group. People grind under economic and other bad governance ills. They vent their worries and pent up passions on such occasions. Pakistan needs some selfless, patriot, saintly ruler for a long time to clear gradually all rubbish, corruption, impact of bad governance, selfishness, environmental degratdation, lack of education, schooling of majority children sent by parents of large families to work and earn, parents' parenting education and training. All this needs cool, patriotic, God-fearing minds and souls. Sorry for so long statements.
PPP through state owned media is encouraging the protest because PML-N is also protesting . It is the political compultion that motivating the parties . PPP gone ahead of all and placed an impossible demand before the UN .
Religion is a joke in Pakistan
And guess who negotiated, with Pakistani officials, the final dispersion of the rioting mobs in our capital-------yes sir, it's the mullahs of the 'Lal Masjid' ----- dos it ring some familiar bells? Well it should, the Mullah Aziz is well and kicking us in our teeth.
I think we should remain in limit.Protest should be done mannerly and peacefully. because in this way as we done in Islamabad,we are not giving a good message.
@Q4U: arrested? This is Pakistan, mainstream media and lawyers will be praising them, if not joining them in invading prohibited areas for general public.
@gp65: gp who are you trying to reason with, these people including their leaders like Imran Khan thinks that he can compare this with Holocaust. I find that comparison so offensive but unlike these idiots I will rather tolerate ignorance than to try to kill the ignorant person
boycott USA, France, Denmark & Germany products. Also boycott using Google, instead use other search engines
Protesting this way seems to be the favourite way for Muslims all over. Even in Chennai/Madras, the Muslims were protesting violently for 5 days. Chennai had never seen such violence in the name of religion before. People doing namaz right on Anna Salai, in front of Spencer Plaza! I always thought my hometown was a peaceful place. Alas, the menace seems to be growing.
First these fanatics will destroy everything, after that sitting on ruins and burning buildings they will call it an American conspiracy.
@Pak12: "Government of Pakistan can hire a laweyer for a million dollar and have Google/YouTube changed its policy against hate speech, so that clips be removed. "
It is unclear how a lawyer who is paid a milion dollars succeed in changing you tube policy when US government request failed to do so? Also there is a difference between free speech and hate speech Free speech: I hate X/X is fraudulent/ Hate speech: I hate X so let us kill them.
Get the difference. This video does not constitute hate speech.
@YP Toronto: you learn whatever you are capable of learning. Muslims in these backward countries most likely are going to grow with a different belief system rather than what people in more advanced countries. Does not that prove that its not the religion that makes a person good or bad, its the person, otherwise all muslims would have been barbarians or civilized. Unfortunately it seems like people who act like barbarians are praised in these corrupt unsophisticated countries and may be that is why they are so backwards!
This protest itself is an islamic blasphemy.
Going by the protesters' own logic, they should take their own lifes. No one else's.
Hypochrites.
After September 11, 2001, there were some protests and verbal abuse of Indian and Pakistani living in the US. The US govt. immediately had a press conference and attorney General at the time Ashcroft said: anyone who abuses or hurts anyone just because they look foreign do not represent our true character as Americans, BUT the worst American. He also declared that any such abuse will be treated as a Hate Crime. The US media behaved responsibly and calmed the situation down. Now lets see what our Govt did when a US ambassador was brutally murdered along with three other Americans in Libya, they totally focussed on the third rate video that someone produced somewhere in California and endorsed the protests, nothing negative was said about the killers. Our Govt. endorsed the protests in Pakistan against the US and lawyers and other ignorant people like them when they burnt flags and broke into the Red zone again no one was arrested. No notice from the CJ either ! The interior minister invited protests instead and the media had all the fanatics talk about so called blasphemy rather than the barbaric way Muslims reacted.
I believe since most of the Muslims have lived such a inhibited life in their strictly controlled dictatorial countries that they cannot even understand what freedom of speech is. Those who have lived sometime outside were still not able to set their thinking free and that is why even the oxford educated leaders have the audacity to compare blasphemy with Holocaust. It is going to take ages for this mindset to get their head out of somewhere.
By the way, can anyone tell me what american news channels most of the homes in Pakistan get ?
Need to understand that the demonstration was a show of ulema power!! Wake up, all those who preach but seldom practice real Islamic principles are behind the violence!
army called to save U.S consulate... already we have lost 30k civilians and 7k army men safeguarding united states... n yet again army called to safeguard Americans n she responds once again =)
@Vishnu Dutta: any chance these criminals will be arrested?
Why arent these violent protesters arrested and their faces shown to public? Where is the writ of the Government and the Law?
I wish the interior minister gets hurt rather than the poor policemen , as these protests are being encouraged by foolish leaders both in and out of the govt! By constantly endorsing protests govt is setting up for a very bad Friday !
Violent protest accomplish one thing -- justifies stereotype of the intolerant Muslim willing to kill/harm anyone who offends him. These protest are yet another reason that many smirk when they hear the mantra "religion of peace". You need a Gandhi or Martin Luther King to emulate as they have demonstrated that peaceful/passive resistance can achieve enormous and positive results.
There are also groups and individuals in the West that take any opportunity to vandalize property and create mayhem as a form of fun, knowing that nothing will happen to them because the police cannot arrest everyone! The media should do a better job or showing how few or how many people are actually involved in the protests to give a true picture to the viewing public as to the real extent of the protests.
Pakistan, created in the name of Islam, eventually destroyed in the name of Islam
Peaceful protest is your right but for God and for your Prophet (SAW) sake please abstain from destroying properties of innocent people or passer bys. If you love your prophet this much at least show with your action by following his teachings -- As I said peaceful protest is your right but bringing violence for no reason doesn't associate your with Prophet in any way, because this is against his teachings. Actions speaks volumes. Show your love to Mohammad (SAW) by following his teaching -- Please stop saying that you love Mohammad (SAW) when your actions does not reflect his teachings.
The above photo is a reflection of a very desperate and disoriented young generation.
My general says, "what a mess, the country (pakistan) is becoming so unstable that its police or rangers can't do anything and they call army to protect the foreign guests... Shame..." I said OMG in punjabi accent and the general start laughing...
What is the goal of these violent protests? If the goal is to get the US and western countries to prohibit any perceived insult to islam (or any other religions), any sane person would know that the goal will never be met.
May there are other hidden goals...
"An ulema delegation met with the IG Police and chief commissioner and agreed on a deal"
Why ulema is involved on negotiating the release of protestors arrested by police?
This is where the problem is; the police should charge the protestors on terrorism charges .
this is not the way of protest...you are damaging your own country and America is more happy with this situation. Please brothers protest against the film but maintain the peace of Country..Why you are striking your own Pakistani families? What do you think it works?
There is nothing more painful than to see or read than the act of blasphemy committed intentionally by some person or a group for their personal grudge or political motives against Islam and the Muslims. Enemies of Islam who have created Islam phobia are doing this knowingly to show the world the reaction of Muslims in shape of violence and destruction they will cause against people and property to keep Islam phobia alive. Muslim must make sure that these protests are peace full and Muslims nations must demand from community of nations that these acts must be stopped and united nations need to pass laws against these acts to keep world peace the freedom of speech does not mean to insult 1.5 billion Muslims especially when they claim they are the most civilized people and are allowing these most uncivilized act. Muslims need to learn and follow how Prophet (pbuh) reacted when non Muslims behaved in similar manner against him. Allah (swt) says in Quran.
• And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace, And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing in prayer
Quote / poem n° 4563 : (Koran) Quran, Islam Source : Quran AL FURQAN 25.63-64 Book of true knowledge.
DiVinci's code was anti catholic movie and not a single person in the world died or embassy was damaged or any diplomat killed. I wonder what does it mean?
@Fed Up Indian: What do you mean? Too many muslims in India?
I Seen it LIVE - Some illiterate bunch of Punjab College of Commerce (PCC) students first started the violence then every other student participated as if some sort of Fun was going on - Do they represent Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ? No Certainly NOT AT ALL!!!
@Fed Up Indian: Let's not forget that millions of Muslims live in India too!
Rehan Ahmad and Asif Mehmood demanding that the west be more tolerant, through intolerance. The hypocrisy never stops in Pakistan.
Why was the windscreen of the picture above broken? The poor MUSLIM guy was driving for his own buisness? He has nothing to do with either cartoons nor anti islam film? Are we seriously out of our heads? Violence to damage ourselves?
pathetic state of affairs..if true
Our Prophet (pbuh) never taught us hate and destruction, he always taught us love and peace What we are doing is self destructive, I wish and pray that better sense prevail, (Amin)
Our Prophet’s (pbuh) never taught us violence he always taught us love and peace.
This shows innocence of Muslims which can be swayed very easily.
Even prophet did not react when a lady used to throw trash at him. Why can't muslim try to be atleast 1% of mohammad whom they love so much??
It would seem the PAK government got the results it was hoping for with the holiday. This is really making good press in the west. I have to assume this is a new PR effort to secure a new view of PAK.
Down with all the anti-Islam forces..!
look at the image. seems like an unemployed men is destroying a car of innocent passer by.
no country need to invade pakistan, there wont be anything left to destroy after the locals are done.
What kind of message does the govt send when it announces a holiday so people can protest. They already know that controlling the protest is difficult/impossible so they essentially place people in harms way so they can garner a few votes from the religious right. An irresponsible act from a govt that rarely (if ever) has shown the backbone required for true leadership.
Why did police fail to control mob?. Is police only good for providing escort service to VIPs Pakistan is cutting a sorry picture I am all for registering a dignified protest
what madness...
We live in amazing technological era whereby one unknown person sitting thousands of miles away in the USA can single handedly start riots in Pakistan and have her population destroy private properties and Government Properties built by their tax money and kill their fellow citizens
Protesters in Islamabad did exactly what the Islamophobe film-makers hoped they would do. Insanity
Can Pakistan not spend one day without coming up with new ways to embarrass themselves. Literally, all the rage about Prophet (P.B.U.H) honor will go out the window, when these students will be given a chance to study in the same Western countries that they are denouncing, getting a chance to visit Western beaches and attractions and perhaps, even date their women. Hypocrites is the only word that comes to mind when i see these guys engaging in such primitive behavior. The world will not change and frankly speaking, the world just does not care about the absurd opinions and shenanigans coming out of Pakistan. All of these "students" could have more to protect Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) honor, by going to classes, opening their books and gaining knowledge to make the lives of themselves, their loved one's and their communities, better. Instead, they go on the streets and smash public property and vandalize an innocent civilians car. It is the West that allows these people to come in, study, enjoy the freedom of these societies and build our mosques. They should try these antics in Russia and China, and see what those two will do to you. Xinjiang and Checnya is right in front of us. Now compare that to a city like Toronto, Canada where a new mosque is being built on a monthly basis and Muslims just held a Muslim Fest cultural celebrations. Things to ponder, eh.
The picture with the Mehran correctly protrays what a hypocritical society Pakistan is. A group protests about a film which protrays muslims in a negative sense by attacking an innocent passenger and damaging his property. What's disturbing is that they don't even care for the safety of the two women inside the car. Disgusting animals!
I fully support the peaceful protest to went out your anger against the perpetrators but we have no right to destroy the public/government property
Let's us not loose our senses. Violence is no way to show respect to Mohammed(PBUH). Surely Holy prophet would condemn these actions. Jahalaat has blinded us.
Donot forget about cartoon published by French today. I wish I d ve the courage to join them by leaving tv and comfort. Aaj hamari tou kaal tumahyari baari haay
We need to find who're instigating these protests in Pakistan. These increasingly look like an astro-turf operation. Put the people who're leading these protests behind bars. These are the same people who're sympathetic to Al-Qaeda and Taliban. They support the beheading of our soldiers.
Please Protect Peacefully
Foolish way to protest. Congratulations! You just did Terry Jones proud!
Wow, Our prophet (PBUH) will he be pleased after seeing ourselves destroying our own property and creating chaos. IT is anyone's guess. These people are criminals and nothing else. Someone correctly commented last day that who needs any missile to destroy muslims as any badly edited video uploaded on internet is enough for them to destroy themselves. How true it is. Lover of the prophet behaving this way is not a representative of his teaching. These are agents of the video maker and that is the only truth here.
How stupid our protesters are. By burning our assets and property , how will they protest. INSANE protesters.
Protest peaccefully. diplomats are our guests.
Enough. Its Time Americans see the fredom of expression of Muslims.
Excellent Timing: Just when Ms Khar is in Washington ! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Its going to be another ' very very successful ' visit:)
There is a Government within the government. Situation is getting worse day by day, these same lal masjid student's are out to take control of capital. Why cant they protest peacefully ? Destroying there own country. God save Pakistan.
Lets find out all those things that these "muslims" find offensive. That way we can "incite" them to kill each other. Who needs bombs and weapons!!!!
US embassy or German Embassy??
Australian Embassy could be attacked as well, their flag looks like US flag (remotely). This is the innocence of Muslims everyone should talk about.
Its not good to put Army in, Where is democracy and its institutions? Its was a big blow if people and army fight with each other.
I understand the rage inside everyone. Why can't our people protest peacefully? If you really respect our Prophet (S.A.W) then START PRAYING IN MOSQUES! Follow what's written in the Quran. Know your Religion!
Lets pray everything ends without any untoward occurance!! Very Unfortunate.....
peaceful protest shud be done it will create bad image in the world
Come on people, don't hurt your own brothers! Protest and demonstrate anger with some decency!
Government of Pakistan can hire a laweyer for a million dollar and have Google/YouTube changed its policy against hate speech, so that clips be removed. Instead, they fuel the fury by declaring a holiday so that more people are out on street and economoy gets millions of dollar dent by it. The protest against directed on American embassies is pointless, they should be doing peaceful protest against youtube/google bad policy of allowing these clips to go on air.
I can clearly see that the porperty of pakistan is being damaged by these non sense Protests. Dont they know that this hasnt done by Pak Govt ? Real way to do protest is to make a Film which show real Character of Holy Prophet PBUH. Every move we move should tell that we are the real followers of Great Prophet PBUH. But unfortunately we didnt do that but some thing else. The man who Loves Hadhrat Muhammad PBUH should follow the real teaching rather to damage Properites of our own country.
When the media encourages these protests and govt declares a holiday to do this then you act surprised that this is what is going on ? Are you kidding me ?
ok everybody gets it now...we are just making a fool out of ourselves now...how long will this last??
The Government plays with fire by supporting the unrest for their own political aims. If the GoP wants to protect the diplomatic enclave they can easily do it by blocking entry roads, but they did choose not to do so for their own aims. Curious how it will go tomorrow. If PM goes nearby nobody can come even close. So don't fool us just fool yourself and shoot yourself in the foot. Two PM's down who is next.
Get a grip people. How many people have already died due to these protests? Even one person is too many. We say we follow Quran and Sunnah and it seems like those are only things people of Pakistan don't follow.
SO what honor are they trying to restore by resorting to violence, disturbing people, city life, damaging property, causing harm? Can anyone please explain!! I am Muslim, too but I just don't know who are they fighting against? Why they think if someone dies in such protests will be a shaheed when its like taking their life for nothing! as its only doing what the other extremists want us to do!
the west does not realise, no where in the Islamic countries do the peoples who are looked upon by the west as radicals, fundamentalists etc, burn bibles, or ridicule Cristian, Jewish or other religion's saints etc; simply as their holy book teaches to respect all religions whether the teachings conflict with Islam. Personally, I pity those who earn a day or two of fame by ridiculing Islam in this case to not state it strongly. Will their consciences be at peace thinking of all who have lost their lives whether in Afghanistan or elsewhere due to such irresponsible ways in the name of freedom of the press?? Perhaps they could learn to leave Islam's Prophet and Holy Book alone as Muslims tend to do......
Just kick all of them out of our country ................................
This frenzy must be controlled, a bunch of mad people can not be allowed to dictate or define what our foreign policy ought to be. This is an incited mob induced with death wish and needs to be put in some safe place to cool down.
All right! Listen up everyone... I'm gonna share with all of you the recipe to destroy Pakistan. Just go and create some dull videos or stupid cartoons, and there you go. You have successfully set this nation on the path of destruction. It is indeed a very inexpensive and simple method. If anything above does not work, just remind them that they were not born in Arabs or Turks. They will die of inferiority complex then. We don't need some army or expensive weapons to destroy ourselves. This nation is enough to destroy itself. Masters of self-destruction, this nation is.
No relief being a policeman in Pakistan, everyone has it for them. We will now see a stream of "thank you Army for your sacrifices" but nothing for policeman.
This seems to be going a bit too far now.
Alas. No flag bearers are available to soothe these angry young men, to do some useful activities rather than wasting their energy.
Army need to dealt with these protester as they are dealing with Talibans in FATA.
As Friday is declared Holiday so violence must happen on Thursday?
Does anyone realise that if anyone wanted to close down Pakistan and/or destabilise it for 2 weeks or so all he needs to do it make some cheap and derogatory film or cartoon or some such thing about Islam and Pakistanis will do the rest - destroying its own properties and killing its own people!
we are so foolish that we are destroying our own property.how many of us are following islam properly and does islam teach us to destroy sumones property..we are all similar to talibans in a way..v should first look at ourselves before going for the protest ..shame on all of us..
So fooloish..we are destroting our own property this was never taught by islam..we just fool ourselves by protesting but never do the right thing.. i woul ask how many of you are folloeing islam properly ..it does not teach us what these guys are doing.
Western countries have found an awesome way to destabilize Muslim countries, just release random 13 minute videos on youtube, and watch the drama unfold. No need for drones or fighter jets. India needs to learn.