ISLAMABAD, Sept 1:
In a dramatic escalation of the political crisis that has put Pakistan on edge, hundreds of protesters today stormed the Secretariat and the State-run PTV, even as the powerful Army chief met Premier Nawaz Sharif, triggering rumours that he was advised to step down.
Fresh clashes erupted today between police and protesters who forcibly entered the Secretariat here after breaking its gate, hours after the military asked all parties to peacefully resolve the over two-week long deadlock.
Television images showed protesters pelting stones and police using batons and tear gas to disperse the angry crowd.
In a significant development, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan and fiery cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) were today booked under the Anti-Terrorist Act for attempting to attack the Parliament.
The police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Khan and Qadri on behalf of the Government.
On Saturday night, supporters of Khan and Qadri tried to storm Prime Minister Sharif’s residence by breaking through the police barricade.
The protesters, demanding resignation of Sharif over alleged rigging in last year’s election, also entered the lawn of Parliament but they were stopped at the main entrance of the building where soldiers were deployed.
With the political crisis taking a violent turn, the Supreme Court today offered to assist in ending the ongoing political impasse between PTI, PAT and the ruling PML-N Government.
After a brief calm due to overnight rain, the protesters armed with clubs and sticks this morning broke the gate and entered the premises of the secretariat, defying calls from the Army personnel not to enter the building.
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells to push them back but remained unsuccessful. The protesters damaged vehicles of employees of the secretariat.
Later in the day, hundreds of protesters stormed the Pakistan Television’s (PTV) office, blocking its transmission briefly before the Army evicted them and secured the building.
Protesters barged into the PTV network office, smashing cameras, and entered the control room. Over 800 protesters entered the building.
Army personnel reached the headquarters of the TV station and asked the protesters to leave the building immediately. The Army then took control of PTV headquarters and evicted the protesters.
Meanwhile, fresh controversy erupted after Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif met Premier Sharif to discuss ways to resolve the deepening political crisis with media reports claiming that the embattled Prime Minister was advised to step down during the meeting.
After TV channels reported that Army chief General Sharif has advised the Prime Minister to step down, both the Government and military issued separate denials, dismissing the claims as “baseless”.
Duniya TV reported that Gen Sharif has asked the Premier to resign for a temporary three-month period as demanded by protesters to let an independent commission probe alleged rigging in last year’s general election.
A Government spokesperson immediately denied and denounced rumours broadcast on TV channels. The spokesperson termed the rumours “baseless” and “fake”.
Military spokesperson Major Gen Asim Bajwa also denied the reports, tweeting, “News of #Army #chief asking #PM to resign or going on leave is baseless.”
Prime Minister Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif also dismissed the news reports as “disinformation”.
In the last 48 hours, anti-Government protests have morphed the high-security Red Zone from a concert ground to a bloody battlefield, with three people killed and over 550 injured.
The fresh clashes came after an emergency meeting of army corps commanders last night.
Reaffirming “support to democracy”, the army reviewed with “serious concern”, the existing political crisis and the violent turn it has taken, resulting in large scale injuries and loss of lives.
The generals, who have ruled Pakistan for more than half of its history since independence from Britain in 1947, said that the “situation should be resolved politically without wasting any time and without recourse to violent means”.
The clashes started when both Khan and Qadri asked their followers, camping in front of the Parliament demanding Prime Minister Sharif’s resignation, to shift the venue of the protest to the lawns of Premier’s House.
Meanwhile, Khan, addressing his supporters this afternoon, said the time for Premier Nawaz Sharif’s rule has come to an end.
“We did not ask the Army to become the mediators or facilitators in the ongoing political crisis,” he said.
Condemning the attack on the PTV headquarters, the PTI chief said there is no justification for the attack.
“Whoever has entered the PTV headquarters are not our workers. I have not told any worker to proceed towards PM House or enter any building,” the PTI chief said.
The protesters who stormed the PTV building were chanting slogans in favour of the Pakistan Army.
The demonstrators wrote Qadri’s name on the walls of the PTV headquarters, Express News reported. Qadri asked his followers to vacate the building.
“Strongly obey Army orders; these are your limitations,” Qadri said.
Khan wants the PML-N Government’s ouster over alleged rigging in last year’s poll which his party lost, while Qadri wants to bring a revolution in the country. Both the leaders are agitating since August 14. (PTI)
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