The Pakistan government called in the Army when clashes broke out after police and paramilitary forces cracked down on protesters from hardline religious groups who were blocking a key highway to the capital, leaving over 200 people injured. The interior ministry issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) authorising the deployment of the Army in aid of the civil administration to control law and order in the Islamabad Capital Territory. The Army would be deployed for an indefinite period to maintain peace, the ministry said.
The development came hours after Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa spoke to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi over the telephone and discussed the security situation. The government also ordered suspension of private TV channels and blocked popular social media sites as police and paramilitary personnel fought pitched battles with activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Ras-ool Allah (TLY) and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST) who torched vehicles and attacked houses of political leaders.
The protesters regrouped again and continued their siege of the capital that started about three weeks ago, demanding sacking of law minister Zahid Hamid over changes in a law related to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prophethood) oath in the Elections Act 2017. They alleged the action undermined Islamic beliefs and linked it to blasphemy. The government has amended the law and restored the original oath but the clerics refused to call off the protests until the minister is sacked.
The siege played havoc with the over half-a-million commuters who daily travel between Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The government was reluctant to use force, but launched the operation after the Islamabad High Court issued contempt of court notice against interior minister Ahsan Iqbal for failing to implement orders to clear the roads. The Islamabad magistrate issued a warning to protesters to disperse by midnight or face consequences.
