=> LAHORE: Violent mobs roamed the city on Friday hol
LAHORE: Violent mobs roamed the city on Friday holding protests against the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, burning tyres, pelting stones at policemen, burning many government offices including the Fire BrigadeÂ’s and even looting two banks. Some protesters also held funeral prayers in absentia for the slain Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson.
At Yateem Khana Chowk, protesters burned tyres and chanted slogans against the government and mourning Benazir’s death. Midway through the protest, some of them turned violent and burned part of the MCB bank near the chowk. They also broke and looted the ATM set up outside the bank. The mob then looted and burned a branch of Markaz Qaumi Bachat. Then they joined another protest at Scheme Mor where they burned tyres, shouted slogans and burned two buses.
Residents of Yateem Khana had also abducted three policemen and burned their vehicle late on Thursday night.
Residents of Baghbanpura protested on Sharif Road. They shouted anti-government slogans, denounced the murder of the PPP chairperson and burned down the office of the Fire Brigade on Sharif Road.
Another major protest came out after the Juma prayer at Data Darbar. Thousands people, including a large number of PPP workers held funeral prayers in absentia for their late leader. After the prayers, they protested against the assassination of Benazir. They held flags of the PPP, banners and placards denouncing the murder. They shouted slogans and burned tyres on the road and on the overhead pedestrian crossing near Data Darbar. They also damaged some nearby shops and pelted stones at the policemen deployed there. The mob dispersed when the policemen retaliated with stone pelting.
PPP workers held many more funeral prayers in absentia at various parks and mosques in the city.
Protesters also gathered near Shalimar Chowk where they chanted slogans against the government, brought down the banners and posters of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) candidate Mian Ikhlaq Ahmad Guddu. They also stopped the vehicles of PML-Q, tore the PML-Q’s stickers off of the cars and damaged them.
Various other protests were also held at several areas of the city including The Mall, Shimla Pahari Chowk, Multan Road, Sattukatla, Ghazi Road in DHA, North Cantonment, Shah Di Khui, Johar Town, Kotli Pir Abdur Rehman Harbanspura, Qila Gujjar Singh and Allama Iqbal Road in Garhi Shahu. In these protests, groups of youths gathered in several streets and came out on main roads where they burned tyres, shouted slogans and dispersed as soon as the police reached there.
Heavy contingents of police were deployed throughout the city, equipped with teargas, shields and sticks.
5,500 Rangers deployed in Punjab: The government has called 5,500 personnel of the Pakistan Rangers at 10 major cities of the province. The Pakistan Rangers spokesman told Daily Times that the director general of Pakistan Rangers in Punjab, Major General Muhammad Haroon Aslam, had ordered the forces at the borders to remain very vigilant. He said that 5,500 rangers from the Internal Security Wing (ISW) had been deployed in 10 cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Sheikhupura, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Faisalabad.
Source: Daily Times
Date:12/29/2007
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