By Aamir Latif and Islamuddin Sajid
KARACHI, Pakistan
The embattled Pakistan government late Sunday assigned paramilitary rangers to “handle” the protesters who have besieged the capital Islamabad for three weeks after the country’s powerful army chief advised the government not to deploy the army against the protesters, according to the Interior Ministry.
The ministry, through a notification, appointed Maj. Gen. Azhar Naveed Hayat, head of the rangers in the northeastern Punjab province, to lead the operation to “handle” and “clear” the sit-in, which has virtually cut off the capital from rest of the country since early November.
Quoting unnamed government officials, local Dunya TV reported that the rangers head had been assigned the task to “negotiate” with the protesters, and clear the sit-in organized by Tehrik Labbaik Ya Rasoolallah (Movement to serve Prophet of Allah) -- a newly formed group which represents the Sunni-Barelvi school of thought.
Army forces will, however, remain as a back-up in case of any emergency situation, the channel reported.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi chaired meetings with top government officials, including the army chief, to review the aftermath of a Saturday crackdown on protesters which left six dead and hundreds wounded.
The two-hour meeting in the capital Islamabad discussed ways to resolve the crisis, including fresh talks with protesters, a prime ministry official told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
Most participants, who included cabinet members, advised the premier to avoid the use of force as it could trigger more violence.
Thousands of protesters continued to occupy major roads in several parts of Pakistan, including Islamabad, on Sunday, crippling daily life and forcing the country's powerful army chief to cut short a foreign visit.
Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa cut short his trip official visit to the U.A.E. and met the prime minister on Sunday evening.
He advised Abbasi to avoid the use of force and restore news channels, an army official told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity, due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
Minutes after his meeting, a two-day clampdown on news channels was lifted across the country. Social media websites were also restored a couple of hours later.
Protestors demand Cabinet resign
Stick-wielding protesters attacked a police checkpoint and burned at least five vehicles in early morning violence near Islamabad, local broadcaster Geo TV reported.
They were protesting an election clause related to the finality of the Prophet Mohammad -- which was restored earlier this month amid nationwide protests.
Last month, a “clerical error” in an unrelated bill modified the clause.
Under the restored clause, voters registering for general elections have to declare that they believe Mohammad was the final prophet, or their names will be put on a separate list for Ahmedis/Qadianis -- a minority sect parliament declared non-Muslim in 1974.
Religious groups accused the ruling Pakistani Muslim League (Nawaz) party, and Law Minister Zahid Hamid in particular, of deliberately modifying the clause to favor the minority sect, and demanded his resignation.
Following Saturday’s police action, Khadim Hussein Rizvi, a protest leader, demanded the resignation of the whole cabinet.
Anonymous sources in the cabinet said that at least two ministers, including Hamid, may resign within 24 hours, partially fulfilling this demand.
The crackdown, which was suspended on Saturday evening, came after a Supreme Court ruling which ordered their removal.
Violent protests and clashes, which saw the torching of vehicles and property, led the government to call in the army to secure the capital on Saturday.
Rangers are deployed near the venue of the sit-in as hundreds of protesters are still camped out at Faizabad, a junction connecting Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Army vehicles which moved into the capital were welcomed by protesters who chanted pro-army slogans.
Political leaders and civil society condemned Saturday’s attack by protesters on the residences of former Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Hamid in the cities of Rawalpindi and Sialkot cities respectively.
"We strongly condemn the attacks on houses of Nisar Ali Khan and other leaders," Syed Khurshid Shah, opposition leader in the National Assembly, the parliament’s lower house, said in a statement.
The government of the northeastern Punjab province called in rangers to control the situation as hundreds of protesters who ransacked public properties on Saturday still occupy several roads and sites in the provincial capital Lahore and other cities.
Scores of protesters are still camped on the roads in various cities, including Karachi, Multan, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Gujrat and other cities of Punjab, and the Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
