Qadri’s arrival: Tears of the innocent

PAT supporters, police showdown brings life in twin cities to standstill.

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD:

Sticks and stones broke police and civilians bones while tear gas brought the town to tears.

The federal capital gave a deserted look on Monday as the local administration sealed all major roads in the wake of the arrival of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

“Please let us go, my uncle has passed away, we have to attend his funeral,” pleaded Atika Hussain, who was stopped by the police along with her family at Golra Toll Plaza in the morning. The family had come from Lahore and was refused permission to enter Islamabad.

There were many others who could not reach their destinations and had to stay home. Containers were removed and roads were opened later in the afternoon, however, public transport had been invisible since Sunday evening, creating difficulties for commuters. Meanwhile, taxi drivers took advantage of the situation and overcharged commuters.

While a police driver seems to have forgotten that only his APC’s body, not its tyres, can withstand barbed wire. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD JAVAID/ EXPRESS, ONLINE

Islamabad was put on high alert and security was beefed up by deploying around 3,000 police personnel at various points including 1,000 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and over 300 Islamabad traffic police officials. A large number of police personnel were deployed on roads connected to the airport, which was sealed from all sides. The situation created panic and a sense of insecurity among the residents of the area.

“We saw what had happened in Lahore last week, so we decided to stay at home,” said Saqib Shah, a resident of G-15.

Meanwhile, people booked on international flights were seen trying to reach the airport on foot as shuttle services were also cancelled due to the clashes between the police and PAT workers.

A policeman being thrashed by stick-wielding Qadri supporters; a policeman adheres to the warning message on an airport wall. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD JAVAID/ EXPRESS, ONLINE

No shopping possible

Only a few markets in the garrison cities were open on Monday, pinching the pockets of traders and leaving shoppers in a lurch.

“Such incidents create fear and leave us with no choice but to keep our shops closed and put up with financial losses,” said Mohammad Shafiq, the owner of a bakery at Chandni Chowk in Rawalpindi.

He said that since Sunday, business had been suffering. Ziaullah Awan, a trader in Gunjmandi Market, said hundreds of poor labourers work on daily wages in the market and they are left to suffer due to the shutdown.

He said that the blockade had inflicted a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer, as Rawalpindi is a major distribution point for goods bound for Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and nearby districts.

“Protests, sit-ins and rallies have become a matter of routine in Pakistan to bring so-called revolutions. Only traders and poor labourers suffer,” said Wahid Hussain, a trader.

“The government should assign specific locations for protests in every city to avoid losses to businesses,” demanded Rizwan Bhatti, a trader in Saddar market.

Meanwhile, the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education also postponed exams scheduled for Monday.

Cops on standby. PHOTOS: MUHAMMAD JAVAID/ EXPRESS, ONLINE

All the public hospitals in the garrison city were on high alert. Doctors and medical staffs were asked to stay in the hospitals since Sunday night. The patient load remained low at all the hospitals.

Around 120 policemen and civilians who were injured during clashes with PAT workers were brought to both public and private hospitals.

Police officials said that 73 were injured in Islamabad and 47 in Rawalpindi. Lohi Bher SHO Mohammad Iqbal, Lohi Bher Additional SHO Mohammad Irshad and Qasim Khan from Koral Police Station were among the injured.

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Spokesperson Dr Ayesha Eshani, told The Express Tribune that 18 injured police personnel including 10 from the AJK police and six injured civilians were brought to the hospital.

“Most had leg, head and shoulder injuries. They all were discharged later,” she said.

Polyclinic spokesperson Dr Tanveer Malik said that a total of 39 injured were brought to the hospital out of which 37 were police personnel and two were civilians.

He said that an AJK policeman was admitted to the ICU, and the Lohi Behr SHO to the emergency ward, while the rest were discharged.

At least 56 injured were brought to government hospitals in Rawalpindi, out of which 36 were policemen, 20 civilians. Another 16 police personnel and four civilians were taken to private hospitals.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2014.