Islamabad Police and the Ministry of Interior said on Sunday evening “several” policemen were injured as participants of a rally led by the PTI pelted stones at officers “without provocation,” while the party alleged law enforcers were “shelling and attacking attendees for no reason.”
The Islamabad district administration had told rally-goers to disperse “immediately” or face “legal action” after the time allowed for the rally expired at 7pm. Soon after, local media showed footage of clashes between protesters and police, while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party leaders appealed to demonstrators to remain peaceful amid what they said was shelling by police.
“SSP Safe City and several policemen injured in stone pelting,” Islamabad Police said on X. “The protesters continue to throw stones at the police.”
“Police have started shelling and attacking attendees for no reason whatsoever, cowardly and disgraceful by any standards,” PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari said on X.
Pakistan’s capital was tense throughout the day on Sunday, with heavy police deployment and many roads and “sensitive” areas of the city and entry and exit points sealed off with shipping containers ahead of the PTI to press for Imran’s release, who has been in jail for 13 months.
PTI leaders rallied on the outskirts of Islamabad, demanding the “immediate release” of their founder, Imran Khan, while criticising the government for marginalising the party as police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. The rally began with party leader Hammad Azhar addressing the crowd, stating that supporters had gathered today to establish the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution in the country.
Azhar also hinted at the initiation of a new movement in Punjab against Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, urging party workers to “be ready.”
Speaking during the rally, Ali Muhammad Khan demanded Imran’s “immediate release” and lamented how the party’s leaders were being “sidelined” by the government.
Addressing the crowd, PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai urged the PTI leadership to give the rulers a 10-15 day timeframe and demanded the release of Imran Khan and other incarcerated leaders.
Speaking to the rally’s participants, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar said that party founder Imran Khan was a reality that, according to him, stakeholders should accept. “Our mandate was stolen in the February 8 general elections,” he said, adding that the former prime minister was fighting for people’s rights.
He also stated that they would not accept the registration of further “fabricated cases” against the party founder. “We will not accept courts and judges of their [the government’s] choice,” Gohar said, in an apparent reference to legislation regarding the increase in the number of Supreme Court judges.
Firebrand KP CM, Ali Amin Gandapur, said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa did not allow their mandate to be stolen through the use of force.
Towards the end of the rally, PTI supporters clashed with the police as the latter tried to disperse them. According to the police, the local administration had designated a timeframe for the rally, but as it exceeded the hours, the police had to attempt to disperse the supporters, which led to clashes and the ultimate use of tear gas shelling.
Police and PTI workers faced off at Chungi No 26, where workers allegedly pelted stones at responding police officers.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi took notice of the clashes and sought a report from the inspector general of Islamabad Police. According to a statement from the interior ministry, Naqvi has been in contact with the injured SSP and has ordered the provision of the best medical facilities to the injured policemen.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the people of the country had “rejected PTI’s rally”.
According to the state broadcaster, Radio Pakistan, Tarar said that the PTI was “spreading lies and propaganda” by uploading fake videos on social media.
“PTI’s leadership of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has miserably failed in mobilising the masses”, the report quoted him as saying. Tarar, according to the report, added that it was the democratic right of a political party to hold a public rally, so there was nothing special in this regard.
“However, the rally should end within the time allowed by the district administration,” he said. In a separate development, police recovered a suspicious bag near the venue in Sangjani. The bag contained a hand grenade, detonator, electric wires, and other explosive materials. The bomb disposal squad was dispatched to the scene, and an investigation was underway.
