Islamabad News | Islamabad Clashes

Three killed, over 560 injured in Islamabad clashes

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital remains tense after violence broke out on Saturday night when supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri tried to storm PM House using crane’s to remove barricades.

Clashes between police and protesters in which three people were killed and over 560 injured continued on Sunday. 77 of those injured were security officials deployed in the Red Zone.

Protesters several of whom were armed with batons and slingshots started removing containers used as barricades which lead to the police using tear gas to force the crowds back. Authorities said they had no choice but to use force.

Shipping containers were set ablaze, several vehicles stood torched, and hundreds of tear gas canisters lay strewn on the ground on Islamabad's normally pristine Constitution Avenue. Protesters also attacked the Geo News office in Islamabad and a satellite van of the channel.

Scores of protesters carrying hammers and iron rods also broke down a fence outside of parliament late Saturday, enabling hundreds of people to enter the lawns and parking area. Acting IGP Islamabad Khalid Khattak said the protesters were armed with large hammers, wire cutters, axes and even a crane.

Police also beat local journalists covering the protests with batons, injuring some, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq said. Rafique said he intervened to stop the police assault and he would ask the government to investigate the officers' conduct.

Who is responsible for the violence in Islamabad

Imran Khan/Dr. Tahir-ul Qadri

Nawaz Sharif/Chaudhry Nisar

See results vote

survey software

Protests began with a march from Lahore on August 14 and reached Islamabad the next day. Despite calls by Khan and Qadri for millions to join, crowds never exceeding the tens of thousands. Both Khan and Qadri stayed overnight at the protests, spending most of their time in the containers.

 

The decision to march to the PM House was taken after talks between the government, PTI and PAT failed to end the deadlock over the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. PTI chairman Imran Khan has said that an independent probe of rigging in the 2013 general elections cannot be held if Nawaz Sharif remains prime minister. Khan has called for Nawaz Sharif to step down until the proposed judicial commission completes its probe. Government and the majority of opposition parties have dismissed Khan’s demand for the prime minister’s removal.

Joint session of Parliament on Tuesday
 

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday during which it was decided that a joint session of Parliament would held on Tuesday. According to sources the meeting also took the decision to re-engage the PTI and PAT in talks.

 

Differences emerge in PTI

Following clashes in Islamabad, differences have emerged within the PTI. The party’s elected president Javed Hashmi said Imran Khan’s decision to march to the PM House was not that of the party’s. He claimed Imran had been prompted to take this decision after receiving a message from Sheikh Rasheed and Saifullah Niazi. Hashmi said Imran Khan would be to blame if democracy was derailed.

In response to Hashmi, Khan dismissed the elected PTI president announcing that ‘from today he had parted ways with him.’ The PTI chairman also announced that three party MNAs who had not submitted their resignations had also been expelled.

 

Army stresses political resolution to crisis

The Corps Commanders conference chaired by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif ended with the decision that “further use of force will only aggravate the problem”. The conference was originally planned to take place on Monday but due to the security situation in the Capital and the unrest in the country the meeting was held on Sunday.

 

According to a press release from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) wing of the Pakistan Army, the conference “reviewed with serious concern, the existing political crisis and the violent turn it has taken, resulting in large scale injuries and loss of lives.” The meeting once again reiterated that the “situation should be resolved politically without wasting any time and without recourse to violent means.”

The ISPR statement ended on the note that the “army remains committed to playing its part in ensuring security of the state and will never fall short of meeting national aspirations.”

Pakistan Tour of Sri Lanka 2014

Watch Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Series Highlights Here

Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 2014

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Tour Details & Preview:

Pakistan are taking on Sri lanka in the first t20 match of the big series in UAE, they are scheduled to play 2 Twenty20 International matches, 5 One Day Matches and 3 Test matches starting from 11 december 2013 with a T20 game at Dubai. Its a very important series for both the sides going into very busy 2014 year for cricket and there is a T20 world cup as well to play. Pakistan and Sri lanka are highly rated in terms of T20 format and they will be fighting it out for the supermacy in the shorter format of the game.

There will be 5 One day mathes immediatly after the Twenty20 Format, and what we plan to do on this page is posting match highlights videos so once the first t20 is over you will have the highlights in 4 parts, which will be replaced with the 2nd T20 matches after the game and son. So this page is your source of match replays and highlights. You can bookmark this page as well as the live stremaing page where we will be posting Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Geo Super or PTV Sports coverage streams

Fixtures of Pakistan Tour of Sri Lanka 2014

Sat Aug 30

09:45 local | 04:15 GMT | 9:15 PKT

3rd ODI - Sri Lanka v Pakistan

      Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka schedule 2014 in Sri Lanka begins on Wednesday August 6, 2014 in Sri Lanka as per cricket schedule announced and ends on 30th August. Both teams play the first Test in Galle from August 6. The second Test will be played at P.Sara Oval in Colombo from August 14-18. The first one-day will be played in Hambantota on August 23 followed by a day-night encounters in Colombo on August 27, followed by the third and final ODI in Colombo on August 30. It is an international bilateral series organized by ICC based on FTP with Cricket boards of both countries. The tour is consisted of two Tests and three ODI matches to be hosted by Sri Lanka in the month of August. All 3 ODIs of Pakistan and Sri Lanka series have a reserve day in case of rain. Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 2014 fixtures and schedule list fixtures of all matches, dates, venues and timings of all matches in GMT, local and PKT timings (Pakistan local time).

Eng vs Ind, 2014

England v India 2nd ODI            :              Raina's blistering 75-ball 100

Suresh Raina hit a superb century as India cruised to victory against England by 133 runs in the second one-day international at Cardiff.

Sexy Models Fashion Show

Sexy Models Fashion Show

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show airs on tonight on CBS, and we're counting down the seconds until all the sexiness on the runway. Our favorite Angels will be out in full force, like Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, and Candice Swanepoel, who's wearing the coveted Fantasy Bra! So we've rounded up the sexiest moments in Victoria's Secret show history to get you excited for this year; take a look.

Click Hear

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT)

Firebrand Qadri tells supporters to move into Red Zone

Qadri announces to move sit-in towards Parliament House

August 19, 2014 - Updated 1845 PKT 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri announced the advance of the “peaceful” protest onto Constitution Avenue and in front of Parliament – right inside the Red Zone. He said the advance would begin as soon as permission was received from authorities.

“Promise no violence…no militancy,” Qadri appealed to his cheering crowd of supporters.

Delivering a speech to an enraptured audience, the PAT Chief justified moving into the Red Zone, narrating how both the PPP and PML-N had held protests in front of Parliament.

The speech was a combination of calls for "discipline" and calls for "vengeance".

Qadri claimed yet another PAT supporter had died in hospital today after being targeted in Gujranwala.

“If we don’t get revenge for their blood, would you like to return?” Qadri asked a highly charged crowd that yelled “No!”.

Qadri then asked the crowd whether they would prefer to protest in front of Parliament house in the Red Zone, to which his supporters yelled, “Yes!”.

“Should the government stay, or go?” asked the PAT chief, which was met with loud cries of “Go Nawaz go!”

The PAT Chief reiterated the standing demand for the arrest of the Sharif brothers for “murder, planning and involvement” in the Model Town tragedy.

Pushing the crowd into a frenzy, Qadri shot out question after question in hypnotic rhythm, slamming the government, the PML-N and the existing setup, as well as outlining the PAT ideological viewpoint.

“You don’t want to go back? Are you sure? You want a national government? You wan’t these rulers to go? Do you want accountability? Do you want to forgive them? Or arrest them? Do you want implementation of the 12 point agenda? Yes or no? Do you want terrorism to end or not? Do you want extremists and terrorists to stay in our country? Yes to terrorism or no to terrorism?”

The PAT chief called on the government to remove all containers, and asked security forces not to create "bloodshed" in Islamabad. Instructing his supporters multiple times to remain peaceful and disciplined, he said any violence that erupts would be the security forces' fault.

He once again held Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif responsible for the ‘killing’ of 14 PAT workers in Lahore’s Model Town.

“Will you go back home, if you didn’t get justice on the killing of 14 colleagues,” he asked and the participants replied ‘No’.

Earlier today, an Anti-Terrorism Court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for PAT chief Tahirul Qadri and his 72 activists for allegedly injuring 53 policemen in Gujranwala.

The protesters answered ‘no’ to the following questions of Tahirul Qadri: “Is the government unconstitutional and illegal; will the Prime Minister go home without tendering his resignation; do you want the assemblies to continue functioning; do you want the rulers to keep on governing?”

He said no one will go even close to the vicinity of the embassies and the Supreme Court of Pakistan located in the Red Zone. “Not a single drop of blood should spill in Islamabad,” he warned his marchers.

Tahirul Qadri assured the government that his protesters will remain peaceful and asked the authorities to remove containers and let the marchers go towards the Parliament House.

Meanwhile, contingents of Pakistan army have taken positions in the Red Zone, as earlier Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar also announced that the government had handed over security of Islamabad’s Red Zone to the military.