Rawalpindi was under siege on Friday and more than 20,000 policemen were deployed to stop Benazir Bhutto from holding public meeting at Liaquat Bagh. Police fired rubber bullets and resorted to shelling and baton charge to disperse PPP workers chanting anti-Musharraf and anti-government slogans, injuring dozens of civilians and police personnel.
Skirmishes and stone pelting between police and PPP workers continued of and on the whole day near Liaquat Bagh, Fawwarah Chowk, Committee Chowk, and Iqbal Road. At some places, opposition workers also burnt tyres. All areas around Liaquat Bagh were under police cover and people were not even allowed to come out of their houses. Big containers were placed on all roads leading to Rawalpindi city, and no traffic was allowed to enter the city. It is learnt that more than 15,000 police personnel were called from other districts.
Hundreds of PPP leaders and workers were arrested, including MNAs Shamshad Jamal Bachani, Shugufta Jamali, and Fauzia Habib and MPAs Sabiha Saeed, Uzra Banu, Sussi Palejo, Amir Fida Paracha and Mehreen Bhutto.
AJK PPP leaders Abdul Majeed, Lateef Akbar, Mutloob Inquilabi and Shaheen Dar, Liaqat, Umza Jahangir, Shaukat Hayat, Rasheed Mir, Rukhsar Abbasi, Khalid Nawaz Bobby, Azhar Gilani, Anjum Ali Khan and others were also arrested.
Police held frequent flag marches in the city, led by SSP Yaseen Farooq, while City Police Officer Saud Aziz, DIG, Special Branch, Shams-ul-Hassan, and District Coordination Officer (DCO) Irfan Elahi supervised the operation and they remained on the move the whole day.
All buildings around Liaquat Bagh remained under control of law enforcing agencies and all shops and hotels in Fawwarah Chowk, Liaquat Road, Bara Market, Raja Bazar, Bohr Bazar and Murree Road remained closed. Police vehicles ruled over the city roads all day.
PPP MNA Zamrud Khan, who was leading the processions, said that over 4,000 party workers were arrested from different parts of Rawalpindi. He said that big processions were held at four places in Rawalpindi to show to the international community that PPP would not bow before repression. He said that these negative tactics and use of force would not help the present regime to prolong its illegitimate rule.
He said that PPP activists and workers, including women, youth, students and labour wings, remained active the whole day and made efforts to reach Liaquat Bagh. City Police Officer Saud Aziz told newsmen at Fawwarah Chowk that no person was stopped from coming on the roads. "We have not stopped the emergency traffic, and helped people to reach their destination as public transport remained off the roads", he added.
He said that more than 8500 police personnel were called from other districts to maintain law and order in the city. The blockade were made and security measures were taken to avoid any loss of life and property, he said. Rawal Town SP Khurram Shahzad admitted that police had arrested about 70 PPP leaders and workers during the day while in overnight operation 65 persons belonging to PPP were arrested.
High police officials thrashed dozens of people at Fawwarah Chowk and Liaquat Bagh. Two brides were forced to proceed on foot to their new homes from a marriage hall in Committee Chowk area as their vehicles were not allowed to come on roads by police.