Pakistan: Violence in Lahore as Islamists plan march to Islamabad for pro-Palestinian rally
Violent clashes broke out Friday between police and Islamists in Lahore, Pakistan, after security forces tried to stop thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors.
Violent clashes broke out Friday between police and Islamists in the Pakistani city of Lahore after security forces tried to stop thousands of protestors from leaving for Islamabad, where agitators took out a pro-Gaza rally outside the US Embassy, the Associated Press reported.
The unrest in the Punjab province, which started on Thursday, intensified today as police used batons and tear gas to disperse the protestors, who then retaliated with stones.
The Islamist Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party stated that two of its supporters had been killed and 50 injured since Thursday. The Punjab provincial government, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is yet to comment.
The protest was seen after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas brokered by US President Donald Trump.
March from Lahore to US Embassy
Speaking to thousands during Friday prayers in Lahore, TLP chief Saad Rizvi announced the protests saying, “We will now march from Lahore to the US Embassy in Islamabad. Arrest is not a problem, bullets are not a problem, shells are not a problem — martyrdom is our destiny.”
Witnesses told AP that police deployed batons and tear gas near the TLP’s main office and has affected residents in the nearby areas.
The violence has also disrupted the daily lives of locals and has made it difficult to reach homes. Schools, colleges, and universities in Lahore were closed on Friday.
To prevent demonstrators from reaching Islamabad, the federal government suspended mobile internet service in the capital and nearby Rawalpindi, and authorities placed shipping containers along highways leading to the city.
Lahore is about 350 kilometers (210 miles) from Islamabad.
Also Read | Pakistan suspends internet, seals roads in Islamabad and Rawalpindi ahead of Tehreek-e-Labbaik protests
Why protest when peace has started, people ask
Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry said Thursday that the TLP had not sought permission for the rally, a claim the party denied, insisting it had sought approval for a peaceful march in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
The TLP, known for disruptive protests, has faced online criticism, with many accusing the government of overreacting even before the protests had begun.
“Why are these demonstrators coming to Islamabad when the peace process in Palestine has already started?” asked Mohammad Ashfaq, 35, who was turned back at a roadblock. “I tried longer routes, but police had blocked those too. Now I’ll have to figure out again how to reach my office,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144, banning all kinds of public gatherings or rallies for the next 10 days.
