Hike in transport fares

By Shakeel Anjum

ISLAMABAD: Violent protests against hike in public transport fares spread on Friday to Rawalpindi too, where enraged protesters damaged vehicles and private property worth million of rupees.

The Capital Police, with the assistance of Rangers, fought pitched battles with the demonstrators at different points, including Bhara Kahu and Faizabad, using firearms, teargas shells and resorting to baton-charge while the agitators pelted them with stones.

The Elite Force and the Anti-Riot Unit also took part in the operation along with three units of the Rangers. Some incidents of violence occurred in Rawalpindi around Faizabad but the police overcame the situation there. Heavy deployment of police force was seen near Faizabad where they pushed the agitators back to Islamabad. It was strange to see the Rawalpindi police pushing the demonstrators back towards the Islamabad territory and strongly protecting the boundary of Rawalpindi.

Groups from different localities of Rawalpindi came to Faizabad to attack the Islamabad Police and damage the property.Public representatives of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, including four members of the National Assembly (MNAs) belonging to the PML-N and a PPP senator also avoided playing any effective role in normalising the situation.

The violence started Friday morning when people began gathering at Bhara Kahu with a group of students chanting slogans against the government. Heavy police force was deployed at various points on Murree Road around Bhara Kahu. The protesters blocked Murree Road and disrupted traffic by burning tyres.

Top officials of the city administration and the police reached the scene and decided to use force to disperse the mob and to clear the traffic between Murree and Rawalpindi/Islamabad. But the situation deteriorated when police started the operation.

Clashes between police and protesters continued for over seven hours. For a brief period peace was restored in Bhara Kahu with the assistance of local traders but violent agitation started again after an hour while at Faizabad the hide and seek between the police and the demonstrators continued till the evening.

The angry protesters damaged private property, vehicles and shops. Some incidents of looting were also reported in Bhara Kahu. Scores of protesting people and 30 police personnel were injured during the clashes while over 100 demonstrators and students were arrested during the crackdown against those trying to create unrest.

Dr Waseem Khawaja, spokesman for the PIMS told The News that about 12 police personnel and two civilians were brought to the hospital for treatment for injuries. He said that one civilian, Yousaf Khan, with bullet injury was admitted while others were discharged after first aid. He said a number of the injured were also taken to Polyclinic and Benazir Bhutto Hospital.

People claimed that five protesters received bullet injuries while scores were hurt in baton-charge. They said dozens of people with minor injuries were taken to different hospitals. But the police and hospital administrations of PIMS, Polyclinic and Benazir Bhutto Hospital didn’t confirm bullet injuries with the exception of one case.

No ambulance, not even of the Edhi and Rescue-1122, was seen at the places of violence. People shifted the injured to Benazir Bhutto Hospital in private vehicles. It is said that pelting of stones by demonstrators kept the ambulances away from the affected area.

Simultaneously, the administration held negotiations with the people engaged in agitation with the help of local traders, which restored calm for some time enabling the police to clear the road for traffic.

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=27873