RAWALPINDI: Policemen fired on protesters from religious groups to stop them from breaking into the residence of former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, critically injuring four people, says an intelligence report sent to the Islamabad chief commissioner.

Compiled on November 25, the report states that the men were subsequently shifted to Benazir Bhutto Hospital for treatment, but does not contain details of their identity, or explain what subsequently happened to them.

In their situation report, Special Branch officials maintained that around at least 90-100 police personnel were present inside the former minister’s residence when around 1,500 protesters attacked the police party, which retaliated with teargas.

“Protesters broke down the main gate of Chaudhry Nisar’s residence and set fire to an adjacent CNG filling station. When they attempted to enter Chaudhry Nisar’s house, policemen fired gunshots injuring four people who were later shifted to Benazir Bhutto Hospital,” the report said.

The former minister has already denied claims that four of those who died in the violence that broke out on Saturday were shot by policemen outside his house.

Earlier, Chaudhry Nisar had lashed out at his successor, Ahsan Iqbal, for making “baseless claims” regarding the deaths of protesters outside his residence.

In a statement after botched operation, Mr Iqbal had said that no one was killed during the police action, and that the deaths occurred when the mob started attacking private properties, including the former minister’s house.

Reacting to the allegation, Chaudhry Nisar said that the minister was just trying to cover up his own incompetence.

While Rawalpindi City Police Officer Israr Ahmed Abbasi denied the impression that police were allowed to carry firearms or even rubber bullets during the operation against protesters at Faizabad, this report belies his claim.

Rescue 1122 District Emergency Officer Dr Abdul Rehman told Dawn that a report containing details of the six deaths that occurred during Saturday’s violence had been sent to the Rawalpindi district administration and other concerned authorities in Lahore.

Although Dr Rehman could not recall the exact point where the dead bodies were picked up from, he said: “Two were probably picked up from in front of Survey of Pakistan, and the others were removed from Murree Road”.

Police under attack

The situation report also suggested that encountered 1,600-1,700 protesters in I-8/4 around 7am, who dispersed when police tried to pursue and round them up.

Protesters also managed to ‘detain’ 14 Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel inside a house I-8/4 who were later freed.

When the police force reached Faizabad Bridge around 7:45 am, a group of protesters appeared from Dhoke Kala Khan and Sohan village and started pelting them with stones.

As personnel moved towards Sohan bus stop, around 300 demonstrators started running after them and throwing stones. Some policemen, including Inspector Abdul Jabbar, were also beaten with batons.

The report detailed how the police force and FC personnel moved towards I.J. Principal Road from Faizabad, which allowed the protesters to occupy Islamabad Expressway. Two police motorbikes were set on fire by protesters under the Sohan pedestrian bridge.

At 9:40am, a police vehicle parked near Tramari Chowk was damaged by violent protesters, who also set alight a make-shift tent and threw the teargas shells lobbed by police inside them to neutralise the fumes. Protesters also broke into two grocery stores near Faizabad Bus stand and stole food items, the report said.

FC personnel Shafiqur Rehman Zafoor, Farhan and Safeer were taken hostage in different incidents, but later freed.

Protesters torched five Rawalpindi police prison vans, six other vehicles, a TV channel’s DSNG and a police water tanker.

At 5:30pm, the police check point near Jungle Hotel in Golra was set upon by 20 protesters, who set their equipment on fire.

The report revealed that two FC vehicles with personnel on board was peppered with stones and gunfire near Mumtaz Qadri’s grave in Bhara Kahu. However, none of the FC personnel was injured or hurt.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2017