PESHAWAR: Police fired tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge as a large number of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) workers tried to enter the Red Zone while staging a “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bachao” rally outside the provincial assembly on Monday.
Some angry protesters, following the tear gas shelling, set fire to an abandoned camp that had been set up by workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for a sit-in demanding the release of the party founder Imran Khan.
Several PPP workers, led by provincial leaders, including former federal minister Najmuddin Khan, former provincial minister Humayun Khan, Benazir Income Support Programme Chairperson Rubina Khalid, and others, participated in the “Save KP” rally outside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
Carrying party flags and chanting slogans, the protesters alleged that the provincial government was involved in unprecedented corruption and that the province was on the verge of collapse.
Heavy contingents of police had been deployed for the security of the Red Zone during the rally. Police fired tear gas shells and resorted to a baton charge when workers attempted to enter the Red Zone by breaking the iron gate installed on Khyber Road months earlier.
The condition of several workers and some leaders deteriorated due to the intense shelling. Former federal minister Najmuddin Khan was rushed to the hospital. The protesters later set fire to the PTI camp near the KP Assembly, which had been abandoned. The camp was originally established to press the federal government for Imran Khan’s release.
Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other party leaders condemned the use of force against the protesters.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, in a statement, termed the provincial government’s action against the PPP demonstration in Peshawar as undemocratic and a clear sign of the government’s panic.
The governor said the strong public participation in the “Save the Province” campaign sent a clear message to the provincial government. He praised the PPP workers for turning out in large numbers to protest against what he called a corrupt regime.
PPP General Secretary Humayun Khan, Rubina Khalid, and other leaders also condemned the police action and tear gas on PPP workers.
