December 08, 2007	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 27, 1428

KARACHI, Dec 7: Police on Friday resorted to tear-gas shelling and baton charge to disperse hundreds of activists of the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) and arrested half a dozen of those who had gathered to protest against the imposition of emergency rule and suspension of the Constitution at Banaras Chowk.

Police and eyewitnesses said that more than 200 activists of the IJT gathered at main Banaras Chowk after Friday prayers carrying banners and placards and chanted slogans against the emergency rule and military operations in the northern parts of the country.

The protest turned violent when the IJT members defied police orders under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO).

“The police first resorted to baton charge but failed to control the situation,” said a police official. “The police later fired tear gas shells, which helped disperse the protesters from the scene,” he said.

The protesters, reportedly, threw stones on police and also scuffled with the law enforcers who were trying to drag them into police vans. However, majority of the protesters managed to escape and the police succeeded in arresting only six of them.

An IJT spokesman also claimed some of the workers sustain injuries due to the police baton charge. He said that the police turned the peaceful protest into a violent episode, without any provocation from the students’ side.

However, a Site Town police official said that such public gatherings were not allowed in any part of the country due to the imposition of emergency rule.

“We first tried to convince the IJT leadership but they didn’t pay any heed and chose to violate the law,” he added.

“The police moved and arrested some six persons, who are detained at Peerabad police station, where a case for rules’ violation under Section-180 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) is due to be registered against them shortly.”