Protesters set cinema on fire in Peshawar
PESHAWAR- Hundreds of activists of Islami Jamiat Tulaba (IJT), attacked a local cinema and set it on fire and injured some of its staff members besides injuring the press photographers.
They also attacked Shabistan cinema situated on the GT Road. The mob also destroyed the sign boards of the cinema.
According to the details, thousands of Islami Jamiat Tulaba (IJT)activists, assembled here in Peshawar from all over the province to attend the Educational Conference, organized by their leaders here at Shahi Bagh Stadium. The conference was addressed by Jamaat Islami leaders like Prof. Ghafoor Ahmad, Prof. Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, Awami National Party’s Haji Mohammad Adeel, IJT Central Nazim Mushtaq Ahmad and others. After attending the conference some of the students from various institutions attacked Shama cinema and set the building on fire, damaging the place and injuring some of the staff members of the said cinema, including Asadullah, Manager and Contractor Mohammad Ishaq.
Syed Haider Shah photographer, The News, was injured by the angry mob. However Shah succeeded to save his camera from the mob.
Similarly a number of leading religious forces including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam of Maulana Fazalur Rehman also staged a protest meeting at Mohabat Khan mosque and then marched towards different bazars.
According to the eye-witnesses, the police reached the spot after 20 minutes when the cinema was completely burnt and used tear gas to disperse the mob while the fire brigade also reached the spot after 40 minutes of the incident.
It may be mentioned here that earlier the educational conference was scheduled to be held at the busy Khyber Bazar but due to the tense situation here after the incident of The Frontier Post, the provincial government did not allow to hold the conference in the open Khyber Bazar and gave permission to hold it at Shahi Bagh Stadium.
Source: The Nation
Date:2/1/2001
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