The Pakistani government announced the creation of an anti-riot force, equipped under international standards, to control the chaos in the streetsafter the massive opposition protests that were repressed by the Army with gunshots in Islamabad.
“Anti-riot forces should be established in Islamabad and across the country, to deal with the unrest. The force must be professionally trained at international level and adequately equipped,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.
The order was given yesterday Thursday at a security meeting in Islamabadaccording to a statement from Sharif’s office published this Friday, and which seeks to “formulate a comprehensive strategy to prevent attacks against Islamabad or any other city in the country for personal gain.”
This takes place just after protests that attracted thousands of people to the capital from across the country, to call for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and imprisoned for a year on multiple chargesbut it has enormous popularity.
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The protests began last Sunday with a march towards Islamabad, facing significant obstacles, including tear gas shelling and road blockades, to respond to an appeal made by the leader from prison.
After the protesters managed to enter what is known as “the blue zone”, headquarters of state and diplomatic offices, The Government ordered the deployment of the Army to avoid a sit-in at the doors of Parliament.
State media reported that forces were deployed with clear orders to shoot miscreants and troublemakers, causing alarm and concern among international organizations such as Amnesty International over excessive use of force.
The authorities reported the death of five members of the forces in the unrestwhile the PTI claimed that several supporters lost their lives in the violence. However, there are contradictory data on the number of deaths, which have not been independently corroborated.
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The PTI called for the withdrawal of the protesters this Wednesday due, he said, to excessive use of force.
Sharif assured, according to the statement from his office, that the Government “showed restraint by preventing armed men from causing chaos at the so-called peaceful sit-in.”
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