ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The pro-Mumtaz Qadri protesters have been staging a sit-in in front of Parliament House in Islamabad since last four days but the government is yet unable to convince or force the participants to disperse.
Sources said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed the concerned authorities to evacuate D-Chowk today. He also directed to use force as the last resort.
The prime minister also said that exit should be provided if protesters voluntarily want to go.
So far the government officials and leaders of sit-in participants have held a series of talks to end the protest peacefully but talks did not yield positive results yet.
The protesters have presented 10-point Charter of Demand to the government.
10 Points Charter of Demand:
- Impose Nizam-e-Mustafa
- Execute Asia Masih
- No amendment in 295-C
- Immediate release of Namoos-e-Risalat accused
- Immediate execution of 295-C accused
- Declare Mumtaz Qadri official Shaeed
- Announce him officially on Media
- Accused of Namoos-e-Risalat should be excluded from Deet & Qasass
- Qadiani’s should be put on exile
- Operations clean-up must be carried in all government departments against Qadiani’s.
Meanwhile, the security in Red Zone has further been tightened and no irrelevant person is being allowed to enter the area.
On the other hand, the residents of Islamabad and adjoining areas are facing multiple problems as mobile phone services as well as the metro bus services continue to remain suspended since Red Zone went under siege. Though mobile phone services have been restored in some areas.
Last night, the Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in a press conference announced that D-Chowk would be cleared of protesters in broad daylight in the presence of media on Wednesday.
The minister said that the government exercised maximum restraint and avoided use of force. However, now the time had come to establish writ of the state.
Sources said that the government did not resort to conduct an operation in night because the security forces did not have night vision goggles and enough search lights, making it difficult to initiate a result-oriented operation.
