Protests enter 2nd day in Pakistan

Faizabad : Islamist party activists yesterday clashed with Pakistani security forces for a second day outside the capital, Islamabad, burning vehicles before withdrawing into an uneasy stand-off at a protest camp they have occupied for two weeks, police said.

Despite orders from the civilian government to the army on Saturday night to help restore order, no troops were at the scene around the protest camp in Faizabad, on the outskirts of the capital, witnesses said.

The military’s press department did not respond to queries about the government’s order.

According to media reports at least six people were killed on the previous day, when several thousand police and paramilitary forces tried to disperse the religious hardliners, who have blocked the main route into the capital demanding that the law minister be fired for committing blasphemy.

At least 150 people were wounded in Saturday’s clashes, hospitals reported, and police superintendent Amir Niazi said 80 members of the security forces were among those casualties. Reuters could not confirm that there had been any deaths.

Throughout yesterday, baton-armed supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labaik party blocked several main highways, roads and arteries in major Pakistani cities, paralysing traffic and daily life.

“We have orders just to contain them,” Islamabad’s Assistant City Police Commissioner Mohammad Ali said.

Smoke billowed from the charred remains of a car and three motorcycles burned that morning near the Faizabad protest camp, where several thousand Tehreek-e-Labaik activists have gathered in defiance of the government.

After the early morning clashes, the area settled into an uneasy stand-off. The paramilitary Rangers force - which had held back from Saturday’s confrontation - was in charge of yesterday’s operations, officers
said.

“We still don’t have orders to launch an operation. We will act as the government orders us,” said Rangers commander at the scene Colonel Bilal, who gave only one name. “We have surrounded the protesters from all sides. We can move in when the government orders us.”