ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday once again offered talks with sit-in protesters as embattled law enforcement agencies (LEAs) were fighting to free the Capital which had been under siege since 20 days.
Talking to media, the minister said that we tried our best to end sit-in at Faizabad peacefully, and reiterated the resolve to not allow anyone to disrupt peace.
Ahsan Iqbal said that protesters had been holding Twin Cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi hostage for last 20 days, adding that few elements were misleading innocent minds. He said that eventually the government had to carry out an operation after Court’s orders.
“We will avoid any human casualty,” he said.
The interior minister also said that the government was willing to talk with protestors.
Meanwhile, severe clashes were going on between personnel of LEAs consisting of police, FC & Rangers and protesters.
So far one police official was martyred in I-8 Sector during the clashes while nearly 200 persons of both sides had been injured.
Earlier, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa telephoned Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and discussed the ongoing situation regarding the crackdown on protesters in Islamabad.
“COAS telephoned the prime minister, suggested him to handle Islamabad dharna (sit-in) peacefully, avoiding violence from both sides as it is not in national interest and cohesion,” the Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor told in a twitter message.
