September 11, 2007	Tuesday	Sha'aban 28, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 10: Dozens of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders and workers were detained and injured in clashes with police in and around the twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad on Monday when police prevented them from going to Islamabad airport to greet their leader Mr Nawaz Sharif on his return from exile. Many of those detained were released by midnight.

No one sustained serious injuries though, except two policemen who had to be rushed to hospital after angry PML-N workers opened fire on the police at Attock Bridge on the G.T. Road.

Clashes took place between the PML-N activists and law enforcement agencies at Zero Point, Faizabad, Koral Chowk, Kutchehry Chowk, Liaquat Bagh.

The PML-N workers pelted stones on the police and rangers deployed at various points. The security personnel resorted to baton charge and heavy teargas shelling to disperse the protesters. They also fired rubber bullets injuring many demonstrators.

However, the violence on the occasion was much below the level it was being feared, as was the enthusiasm of the PML-N activists.

Tension has been building up for days with PML-N claiming it would bring a million supporters to the Islamabad airport and the authorities taking extraordinary security measures to prevent that.

Police detained over 2,000 PML-N leaders and workers in the past week. Roads leading to Islamabad and Rawalpindi were blocked miles away overnight by huge containers, trucks and barbed wire near the Islamabad airport.

But tension and excitement apart, life went on normally in the rest of the two cities, except for schoolchildren who enjoyed an extra holiday on Monday. Businesses and offices remained open.

By 2pm the tension had dissipated. Even the thin crowds of PML-N activists — who did not exceed 100 in number at any place in the two cities — dispersed after TV channels reported that Mr Nawaz Sharif had been flown out to Saudi Arabia. (add as desired)

Police had set up barricades on roads to prevent Mr Sharif’s supporters from reaching the airport, while all domestic flights from Islamabad on Monday were listed as cancelled.

Nawaz Sharif arrived at the airport at 8:45am and when he was about to be deported, only five party workers who came from Abbottabad, Lahore and Batgram managed to reach outside the airport. They were carrying a poster of Mr Sharif and chanting slogans against President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

A leader of Muslim League youth federation, Sajid Abbasi, who was assigned to mobilise party workers and bring them to the airport to receive the PML-N chief, said about 20 others had been badly beaten by police at Kutchehry Chowk, the area some five kilometre away from the airport.

Scores of party workers led by MNA Tehmina Daultana started a vehicular rally from Fire Brigade Building near Zero Point but all of them were detained when they reached Islamabad Highway.

In Rawalpindi, except Liaqat Bagh and Katchery Chowk, where a small group of protesters clashed with police for a little while that were dispersed after the police rained batons at the activists, the routine life activities in the streets and bazaars of Rawalpindi remained calm and sound with no mass protests from the PML-N supporters.

The police had blocked all the roads leading to airport including Murree Road, Rawal Road and Airport Road restricting the small number of PML-N supporters to get through the barriers and reach the airport.

Main commercial centres remained open in the city except for some shops near Liaqat Bagh and Committee Chowk where a showdown between the police and political activists of Awami National Party (ANP) took place at 11am.

ATTOCK: A number of demonstrations were staged by PML-N activist at Khushalgarh bridge on Kohat-Pindi Road and Jharikus police post on Hazara Road.

Vehicular traffic remained suspended for 18 hours due to closure of G.T. Road.

Meanwhile a rally, led by PML-N leader Saranjam Khan, Javed Iqbal Jhagra, reached Attock bridge were not allowed to enter Rawalpindi. The police resorted to teargas when some protesters tried to cross the barriers.

The situated worsened when some protesters opened fire at the police, injuring constables Zafar and Allah Ditta. They were taken to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Attock.

The police also resorted to firing in the air to control the charged mob.

Similarly, a large number of PML-N activists from Bannu, Kohat, Karak and other areas also gathered at Khushalgarh Bridge on Kohat-Pindi Road.

However, they dispersed after coming to know that PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif had been deported to Saudi Arabia.

TAXILA: Various roads in Taxila and Hassanabdal were blocked for more than eight hours.

The main G.T. Road was blocked at several points between Hassanabdal and Taxila by placing containers and sand on the road.

GUJAR KHAN: The police had blocked the G.T. road and link roads in Jhelum and Gujar Khan area and the commuters especially women and children suffered a lot.

The Jhelum police arrested PML-N member of the National Assembly Raja Asad at Jada Mor area along with the party workers.

The police had set up barriers at various points on G.T. Road between Jhelum, Mandra, Gujar Khan, Sohawa and Chakwal by parking trucks and tractors.