December 30, 2007	Sunday	Zilhaj 19, 1428

RAHIMYAR KHAN, Dec 29: Violent protesters attacked a police van on Saturday, as protests against Benazir Bhutto’s assassination entered the third day.

In retaliation, police used batons and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters.

Protesters spread in the city in groups after funeral prayers for Ms Bhutto. A group of protesters attacked a police van in Canal Chowk and a clash ensued. When the police used force, the protesters dispersed.

Later, PPP leaders and workers occupied Post Office Chowk and offered fateha for Ms Bhutto.

Quran khwani for the PPP chairwoman will be held at the central Eidgah on Sunday (today).

Earlier, funeral prayers for Ms Bhutto were offered at Eidgah. A large number of people from all walks of life participated in the funeral prayers. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders Jaafar Iqbal Gujjar, Mahmood Ahmad Cheema and Chaudhry Abdul Rauf, Pakistan People’s Party candidates Javed Iqbal Warraich, Chaudhry Hassan and Javed Akbar Dhiloon also attended the funeral prayers, where the sobbing people were wearing black armbands.

TOBA TEK SINGH: A complete strike was observed in Toba Tek Singh, Kamalia, Gojra and Pirmahal on Saturday on the call of opposition political parties to condemn Ms Bhutto’s murder.

In Kamalia, angry protesters clashed with police after funeral prayers for the PPP chairwoman at Committee Bagh. The police beat a protester after which the protesters pelted them with stones. In consequence, police used batons to disperse them. PPP leaders Haider Kharal and Chaudhry Asadur Rehman were also present.

In Gojra, hundreds of people took part in the funeral prayers for Ms Bhutto. Local leaders Muhammad Hamza, Khalid Bashir and Muhammad Ishaq also attended the funeral prayers and later a protest rally.

In Toba, ‘qul’ for Ms Bhutto held outside a PPP office on Shorkot Road. Local leaders Hafeezullah Eshaq, Mian Junaid Anwaar, Mian Muhammad Rafiq and Zulfiqar Ali were also present.

PPP Central Executive Committee member Khalid Ahmad Kharal, who left for Larkana on Friday evening to condole Ms Bhutto’s death, attended the committee’s meeting there on Saturday.

Separately, committee member Ghiasuddin Janbaz and Punjab National Workers Party chief Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad paid rich tribute to the PPP chairwoman and demanded an impartial judicial commission to investigate her assassination.

KHANEWAL: A complete shutter-down strike was observed across the district amid protests and funeral prayers for Ms Bhutto.

In Khanewal city, activists of the Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz staged a sit-in in Sanglanwala Chowk. Later, the sit-in turned into a protest rally, which marched through various roads of the city. The protesters damaged a Punjab Bank office and raised slogans against the government.

Syed Faisal Imam, Nishat Ahmad Khan Daha, Javaid Hashmi and Malik Saleem Raza spoke to various protest gatherings.

Funeral prayers for Ms Bhutto were offered in Kabirwala and Mianchannu tehsils. PPP activists took out rallies in Jahanian and its suburbs.