News

May 27, 2022

Government Authorizes Deployment of Army in Red Zone

Islamabad: As PTI Chairman Imran Khan entered Islamabad in the early hours of Thursday and marched towards D-Chowk, the federal government authorized the deployment of the army in Red Zone to "protect important government buildings".

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah tweeted a notification saying the government was "pleased to authorize the deployment" of the army in Red Zone under Article 245 of the Constitution.

Among the buildings that will be protected are the Supreme Court, Parliament House, Prime Minister House, Presidency, Pakistan Secretariat and Diplomatic enclaves," the notification said.

With Imran's convoy, which began the journey from Swabi's Wali Interchange, en route to D-Chowk via the Srinagar Highway, a batch of his party workers and supporters were already present in the face of intense police shelling.

Earlier, during a brief stopover in Hasan Abdal approximately 50 kilometers away from the capital, Imran reiterated that he and his supporters would not vacate D-Chowk until a date for new elections was announced by the "imported government".

Imran Khan's convoy from KP enters Islamabad
Supporters asked to reach Islamabad's D-Chowk, take out rallies in their respective cities
PTI activists clash with Punjab police; Ali Asjad Malhi, Jamshed Cheema among the arrested
Dr Yasmin Rashid's vehicle comes under attack; windshield smashed at Lahore's Bati Chowk
Dr Rashid and Andaleeb Abbas briefly detained afterwards
Activists force their way through roadblocks in Lahore
PTI south KP convoy led by Ali Amin Gandapur enters Punjab
Shelling at Attock as protesters try to remove shipping containers with a crane
Imran and govt rubbish talk of a deal
One batch of PTI supporters make it to D-Chowk; Imran's caravan enters Islamabad
Army to be deployed in Red Zone to protect important installations

The PTI leader claimed that when his caravan reaches its destination, the police would also come to realize that his mission is about "jihad and not politics". Later, a video shared on PTI's official account showed police officials waving and welcoming Imran's caravan on its way to D-Chowk.

Police accused of using expired tear gas on women, children

Earlier, as the PTI's Azadi March began, tensions in Punjab rose after police made use of tear gas and arrested several PTI marchers in cities across the province as activists attempted to remove shipping containers blocking routes to Islamabad.

Senior journalist Hamid Mir, on his Twitter account, claimed to have received a message from PTI leader Dr Shireen Mazari in which she claimed that the tear gas fired on women and children by the police was "expired".

"Use of expired tear gas is not only violation of court orders but it’s a terrorism against Pakistani citizens by Rana Sanaullah," he quoted Mazari as saying. Mazari retweeted Mir's tweet in an apparent confirmation of her claim.

Imran urges 'all Pakistanis' to take to the streets

Meanwhile, in an earlier video message, Imran asked "all Pakistanis" to take to the streets in their respective cities and said people heading to Islamabad must reach D-Chowk.

"I will make it there in a couple of hours." He also appealed to women and children to come out of their homes for "real independence". Imran said it was "good news" that the Supreme Court had decided that no one would be arrested during the march.

"Your collective presence will send a message across Pakistan that the nation has rejected this imported government."

Earlier, around 6pm, the main convoy from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which includes Imran, was able to enter Punjab from Attock after successfully removing barricades placed by the Punjab government at the Attock bridge to stop marchers from entering the province.

Some prominent PTI leaders, including Fawad Chaudhry and Shireen Mazari, also urged supporters to make their way to the capital's D-Chowk, saying that all containers and blockades on the way had been removed.

There were reports of intense shelling in Islamabad's Blue Area, with television footage showing smoke rising from the ground and fires in the green belts adjacent to main roads. The government claimed that the PTI supporters had set the fires whereas the claim from the PTI camp was that the fires were a result of police shelling. Neither claim could be independently verified.

These developments came a day after the PTI chairman exhorted his supporters to embark on their march for "true freedom " towards Islamabad as the government said it would not allow the march. In response, Imran had called on the youth to remove the obstacles themselves.

Imran had earlier arrived at the Wali Interchange in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by helicopter. Footage of Imran arriving at the interchange showed PTI activists converging on the chopper.

Later, he departed for Islamabad from the Wali Interchange, from where the PTI tweeted a photo of him waving to supporters atop a truck adorned with party colors.

Imran also urged protesters to carry the Pakistani flag, calling the march a "defining moment" for Pakistan.

Meanwhile, internet disruptions were reported across Pakistan in the evening.

'No blockade can stop us'

After reaching Swabi, Imran, holding a Pakistan flag, delivered a speech to supporters saying that "we are going to D-Chowk and no one can stop us" as the crowd cheered.

Calling the incumbent government a "group of thieves", he termed them the most corrupt people in the country and said that they were afraid of the masses which was why they had placed containers.

He said protesters were being detained and harassed as they participated in the Azadi March. Addressing politicians of the ruling coalition, Imran said that the PTI government did not bar any of them from staging protests as it "did not fear the people".

He asserted that the government was afraid as they had been plundering national wealth for the past 30 years. "I want to give these people a message from Swabi Interchange: whatever you do, we will cross all obstacles and reach D-Chowk. Our protest will be peaceful as it has always been."

Imran maintained that staging a protest was the party's right, adding that he would unite the country and make it a nation. "This nation does not accept this imported government," he declared, calling on the people to come out for what he has described of late as a "jihad" for "true freedom".

"All Pakistanis, women, children, families, youth, lawyers, retired army officers, everyone has to come out for real independence," he said.

Meanwhile, other party leaders departed from their respective locations, with Hammad Azhar, Yasmin Rashid and some others from Lahore, while Shahid Khattak departed from Karak. PTI's Fayyazul Hasan Chohan could be seen on television footage departing for Islamabad on a motorcycle.

Teams formed on SC orders to hold talks: Sanaullah

At a press conference, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif "must have formed a negotiation team" by now in light of the Supreme Court order on a petition filed by the PTI earlier in the day. He said the PTI had already formed its team led by Dr Babar Awan. The minister said the situation in Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh was relatively peaceful, adding it was just KP where protesters were using state machinery and heading towards Islamabad.

He said the government would abide by the court's order for upholding peace and the law-and-order situation in the country.

Sanaullah said police had carried out a total of 4,417 swoops on PTI supporters' homes, offices and on protest rallies and had arrested nearly 1,700 people. Of those, 250 were freed after they submitted affidavits that they had nothing to do with the protest march, he said.

The interior minister said the PTI's march had failed as it could not gather the support the party's leadership was claiming. According to him, only a few hundred people had come out in support of PTI at various places in Punjab, adding that he was "embarrassed" at the measures he had asked forces to take because "we had been deceived by their tall claims".

The minister apologized to the people for causing disruption in their daily lives.

Maryam says march has failed

Meanwhile, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz claimed that the PTI had approached the government twice for talks. She said PTI leaders Pervez Khattak and Fawad Chaudhry had approached the government a day earlier and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Khattak today at 10am.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, she claimed the PTI had asked for an election date to "save face and get a safe exit since the people hadn't responded to the march's call as per the PTI's expectations".

Maryam claimed that the turnout for the PTI's march was low and had unnecessarily consumed the government's energy and attention which was expecting a bigger response.

She also alleged that former PM Imran was trying to create division and discord in the army.

Maryam's claim rejected

Maryam's claim of PTI approaching the government for talks was swiftly rejected by Fawad Chaudhry, who said she was a "liar", adding that "there will be no negotiations now, just a showdown".

Shelling at KP-Punjab border after cranes brought to move containers

Meanwhile, police fired tear gas at protesters near the Chacch Interchange in Hazro town of Attock district. According to Dawn's correspondent who was present at the scene, the protesters had brought a crane and were attempting to remove the containers that were blocking the way.

Footage from the scene showed protesters covering their faces and running from the scene as smoke billowed in the background after police fired tear gas shells in an attempt to disperse them.

"We are peaceful and were trying to remove the hurdles when Punjab police resorted to tear gas shelling," PTI worker Shabir Ahmed said, adding that the protesters would not return or move at any cost.

Separately, the PTI had earlier tweeted that the party's south KP convoy, led by Ali Amin Gandapur, was "well on its way" towards Islamabad after the blockades faced at the Punjab-KP border were "crossed successfully".

A day earlier Section 144 was invoked in Islamabad, Punjab and Sindh .

Jamshed Cheema held in Lahore; police try to nab Hammad Azhar

DawnNewsTV reported that police attempted to arrest Hammad Azhar in Lahore. Footage showed scuffles between supporters and police as they tried to arrest Azhar, who could be seen wearing a red cap in footage broadcast on TV.

After 1:50pm, the police resumed shelling and fired tear gas near the Aiwan-e-Adal. Four lawyers were also arrested, while 10 to 12 cars were reportedly damaged.

Dawn.com was able to confirm that another PTI leader, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, was arrested in Lahore and was moved to an undisclosed location. In a brief video message, he said they were living in a country of 220 million people and all of them would exercise their "democratic rights".

Meanwhile, DawnNewsTV reported that Dr Rashid and Andaleeb Abbas were arrested from Ravi Road and subsequently released.

Earlier, footage emerged of police personnel charging at marchers at Lahore's Bati chowk. Ten people were arrested after the clashes.

Dawn.com saw footage of clashes and scuffles between the protesters and the policemen as activists converged in the area to begin their march on Islamabad. The videos showed policemen stopping PTI supporters from moving forward and making use of tear gas.

According to the PTI's official Twitter account, marchers were also stopped at the Shahdara area… - Dawn

Courtesy https://www.dawn.com