KARACHI: The ongoing joint operation of police, Frontier Corps (FC) and Rangers personnel against sit-in of Sunni Tehreek and Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah parties have sparked protests in parts of country on Saturday.
According to details, the situation in Karachi worsened when people supporting the sit-in took to the streets. The protesters blocked Numaish Chowrangi and chanted slogans against the government. The flow of traffic also got severely affected.
Islamabad police, with the help of Frontier Constabulary personnel and other law enforcement agencies, on Saturday morning launched a crackdown against protesters camped out at the Faizabad Interchange since November 8.
The crackdown was launched after the last of a long series of deadlines lapsed on Saturday morning without response from the agitating parties.
Roughly 8,500 elite police and paramilitary troops in riot gear are taking part in the clearance operation, which was launched soon after the final deadline of 7am given to protesters expired.
Security personnel have uprooted tents, destroyed protesters’ belongings as they advance Law enforcement personnel have encircled the area and are using teargas and rubber bullets to disperse agitators. In response, the protesters have been using stones and rocks to attack the advancing security forces
In Rawat, the protesters barricaded main G.T Road near Channi Pull and demanded to stop the operation whereas the mob also resorted to stone pelting at the cars at Sheikhupura’s Batti Chowk.
In Lahore, people burned tyres and blocked roads leading to Gujranwala. They also surrounded railway track after which a clash erupted between police and them.
Meanwhile, long queues of vehicles were seen in Okara and Renala Khurd while a protest was also witnessed in Daska.
On the other hand, Police, Frontier Corpse (FC) and Rangers personnel launched crackdown against Faizabad sit-in protesters on early Saturday morning after the deadline given by the local administration to clear the main road expired at midnight.
The operation was carried out after police personnel repeatedly directed the protesters to call-off their sit-in. The officers resorted to teargas and rubber bullets firing over which the workers of religious parties hurled stones at them. NNI