Violence convulses country

Protesters badly hurt by a blasphemous film made in the United States convulsed Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and other towns on the occasion of Youm-e-Ishq-e-Rasool (PBUH) on Friday, leaving up to 25 people dead and more than 160 injured. The worst hit city was Karachi where as many as 18 people, including a policeman, were killed and scores of other injured.
---- 25 killed, including 18 in Karachi; 160 injured
---- Public and private property, including several banks, set on fire
Unidentified people went on rampage in key parts of Karachi and clashed with police after failing to find an open passage to reach well-guarded US consulate. Authorities had already blocked all roads leading to the consulate with empty containers, making it difficult for angry mob to breach even a single fold of the many-layered security shield.
Clashes became more intense between the police and protestors at PIDC, Jinnah Bridge, Native Jetty and M A Jinnah Road, as Police opened indiscriminate gunfire and shelled tear gas at mob to keep them away from the security lines. Violence grew to worsen after unknown vandals plundered and set banks, foreign food centres, police patrolling vans and cinema houses on fire and open gunshots and hurled stones at law enforcers.
A total five cinemas were torched, including Nishat, Capri and Bambino in Saddar and Gulistan and Nargis in Quaidabad. When fire brigade reached the site to put out fire, miscreants did not allow it to extinguish fire and pelted the fire tenders with stones, shattering windscreen of many fire tenders and injuring the workers. Protesters burnt tyres, US flags and effigies of the anti-Islam filmmaker on MA Jinnah Road, PIDC, Sultanabad, and the city's Red Zone. Miscreants also burnt a checkpost of traffic police, three police vans and a private van near PIDC Bridge. Four banks were also set ablaze near PIDC. The city's main arteries remained blocked as battle between protesters and police ran for hours.
Services of all cellular phone companies were suspended on the directive of the federal government all day long, except for a brief period in the evening. There was no ambulance services available to shift the injured to hospitals. Angry mob damaged the Civil Hospital Karachi emergency wards after their injured colleagues were brought there for treatment.
Vandalism at the CHK forced paramedics and doctors to escape from the hospital. When this correspondent visited the emergency ward of CHK, the ward was found severely damaged. "Some miscreants attacked doctors and paramedics and forced them to escape from the hospital. They also ransacked the emergency centre besides damaging the computer room due to which record of dead bodies and injured could not be maintained," said Mushtaq, a paramedic at CHK.
Journalists also faced the wrath of protestors as they were roughed up at various places. A photographer Asif Hassan, working for foreign news agency was robbed of his camera and other relevant gadgets. The bodies brought to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre included Mohammad Khan, 40, son of Fateh Khan, Mohammad Arif, Noor Rehman, 30, son of Faiz Mohammad, Faizan and Amjad while the identity of one victim could not be ascertained.
Some 83 injured were taken to JPMC, of them many were stated to be in critical condition. The bodies brought to Civil Hospital Karachi have been identified as Shakeel, 25, son Khitab Akhtar, police constable Mohammad Tufail, 35, son of Aurangzeb, Sibghatullah, 28, son of Muqadam Khan, Mohammad Warid, 15, son of Abdul Hameed, Sumair, 23, son of Abdul Shakoor, Naveed, 25, son of Nasrullah, Abdul Basit, 22, son of Ali Asghar while the identity of one victim could not be ascertained. Some 31 injured were also shifted to CHK for treatment.
According to Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) spokesman, two PTI workers Qari Khalid and Kashif were killed. Both were the residents of Sikandarabad. Meanwhile, two injured persons who were admitted to JPMC died during treatment. One man has been identified as Mohammad Khan while the identity of the other could not be ascertained.
In Peshawar, protests against anti-Islam film turned violent as four people were killed, including a driver of a private news channel, and 40 others injured. From early morning, enraged protesters flocked main Trunk Road to express their anger over an anti-Islam film. Enraged demonstrators ransacked the building of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce Industry (SCCI), international restaurants, hotels, burnt three cinemas, commercial banks, and several shops around the G.T Road. Vehicles parked in building of SCCI were also torched by protesters.
They pelted the police with stones. The police used teargas and fired in the air at University road, Hashtnagri, and Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar. A 35 year-old driver of private new channel Mohammad Aamir was among the people, who were killed in clashes between police and protesters. Police have been accused of firing on the vehicle of that private news channel, resulting into serious injuries to Mohammad Aamir. He was shifted to Lady Reading Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
After the Friday prayer, protests intensified. Peshawar was completely sealed off through containers, concrete blocks and barb wires. The roads gave a deserted look due to suspension of all kinds of vehicular traffic on main G.T Road. Huge contingents of police were deployed at sensitive places such as offices of foreign missions, NGOs in University Town and the US consulate, Chief Minister's House and Governor House.
Traders, transporters and CNG association observed a complete strike and held rallies and demonstrations against the blasphemous film produced in United States. Different political and religious parties took out rallies in Cantonment, University and city areas. Supply of petrol and CNG also remained suspended. Infuriated protesters torched US flag and an effigy of President Barack Obama.
Anti-Islam film protests demonstrations and rallies also held in Swat, Kalam, Madeyan, Chitral, Swabi, Akora Khattak, Khyber Agency, Waziristan, and rest part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. The US consulate was shut in Peshawar. According to police sources, a bomb disposal squad defused a 5kg bomb in Bana Mari area, the suburbs to Peshawar.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government condemned the killing of driver of private news channel and announced a Rs 500,000 compensation for the heirs and ordered a judicial probe into the incident.
In Islamabad heavy clashes were witnessed between law enforcing agencies and enraged protesters who forced their way to Red Zone, making an attempt to enter Diplomatic Enclave, as protest continued in the twin cities - Rawalpindi and Islamabad - to denounce the blasphemous movie on Friday Life in the twin cities - Islamabad/Rawalpindi came to a standstill as intensified clashes continued till late evening between the protesters and police.
Fierce clashes took place between the law enforcing agencies and angry protesters that caused injuries to 27 demonstrators and 11 policemen who were shifted to the nearest hospitals. The Red Zone, where all sensitive buildings, including foreign missions were located, was presenting the scene of a battle-field as the police being assisted by Pak army and rangers pushed the enraged protesters back preventing them to enter the Diplomatic Enclave. Besides, the protesters also clashed with police at D-Chowk, Faizabad interchange and I.J Principal Road before and after the Juma prayer.
Thousands of protesters forced their way into Red Zone and tried to enter Diplomatic Enclave after they broke a barrier of truck containers placed by the law enforcement agencies to block access to the Red Zone, but police barred them at another barrier few yards away from French Embassy after heavy tear gas shelling and firing of live rounds.
Similarly, thousands of protesters also clashed with the police at D-Chowk to make their way to Parliament House, Presidency, Prime Minister Secretariat, Parliament Lodges and Pak Secretariat but they were pushed back after heavy clashes late evening. Police fired teargas, rubber bullets as well as live bullets as demonstrators tried to enter the highly guarded enclave via the Constitution Avenue. Protesters set on fire police checkposts, burnt tyres, US flags, smashed public and official vehicles and other public property during violent protests.
Thousands of people marched from Rawalpindi, rural areas of the federal capital and the Industrial Area towards Aabpara and the Red Zone via Murree Road, Kashmir Highway and Khayaban-e-Suharwardi but were intercepted near Serena Chowk. A clash ensued between protestors and law enforcing agencies. The agitators damaged property of a five-star hotel and pelted vehicles with stones. During a hide-and-seek, the police detained and later released dozens of protestors for breaching the law and disturbing peace.
It is pertinent to mention that the government of Pakistan officially observed Yaum-e-Ishq-e-Rasool (PBUH) Friday. Activists of different religious, political parties and traders took part in the protest demonstration. Clashes also took place at Faizabad Interchange close to Rawalpindi when protesters tried to enter Islamabad and were stopped by the police after heavy shelling and firing in air.
Thousands of people took to the streets in Rawalpindi and burnt a Petrol Pump, police mobiles and private vehicles while police fired tear gas and live rounds into the air in a bid to disperse protesters. Protestors started gathering before the Jumma prayer in different areas of the garrison city before the Jumma prayer.
Carrying sticks, people were protesting against a blasphemous film that ignited Muslim sentiments. Protesters started moving toward Faizabad at 2pm, however the Islamabad Police had blocked the road leading to Islamabad by placing cargo containers. The confrontation between protesters and the police started when some protestors tried to cross the barriers. Meanwhile, a group of protestors burnt a petrol pump near Faizabad and pelted private buildings, including hotels and offices, with stones.
Demonstrators from the suburban areas surrounding the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi occupied the streets in Pir Wadhai area and blocked the road for traffic. The demonstrators kept on marching at IJP road and pelted the moving vehicles with stones.
An angry mob also torched the toll plaza at IJP road after damaging the plaza's cabins and signboards alongside the road. Air surveillance was also carried out to ensure order in these areas. The protesters dispersed in the evening after venting their anger in the shape of clashes with police. The local administration imposed section 144 in the federal capital and banned pillion-riding. Several containers were placed around the Red Zone in Islamabad and heavy contingents of police, Pak Army and rangers were deployed. The army was called in to support in providing security in the federal capital.