Transporters’ plunder meets an end in Bhara Kahu riots

By Vidya Rana

* Police violence spills over from Punjab into Capital 
* Road links with Murree, Kashmir severed after Murree Road blockade 

ISLAMABAD: Following a violent protest, bullet injury to an 18-year-old college student, arrest of three dozen locals, involvement of prime minister and blockade of Murree Road near Bhara Kahu for more than 10 hours, locals have succeeded in pressurizing the district administration to withdraw a 17 percent increase in public transport fares on Thursday. 

The saga started in the morning rush hours when local transporters started charging new fare from the commuters for a ride from Bhara Kahu to Aabpara Chowk. Previous fare was Rs 18 while the new fare was Rs 25. Students started the arguments with the transporters, which soon turned into a brawl, ultimately involving local residents and business community of the area. 

Local police chipped in the farce and as the mob grew, an outnumbered police resorted to indiscriminate baton charge thus provoking more reaction from locals who started throwing rocks at police. As the protests grew violent and traffic on both sides of the Murree Road started piling up, more police force was called in by the administration along with Assistant Commissioner Aasim Ayub. His alleged abusive remarks, as the locals put it, ignited the whole scene. Finding AC under duress, police resorted to aerial firing resulting in injury to more than a dozen locals while a young college student was shot in the chest by a frenzied policeman. 

Mohammad Nafees, 18, a college student was rushed to PIMS, where doctors are confirming his condition as stable. The boy is still in surgical ward after  operation, his lung is badly affected, said the doctors at PIMS. 

Following the police hit, the area became a battleground and both the protestors and police kept playing cat and mouse game throughout the day. Police remained busy in shelling teargas at them while protestors kept throwing stones and bricks at the police besides setting ablaze tyres on the road, which also resulted in minor injuries to about six policemen. 

The area was engulfed with white smoke of teargas and Murree/Kahsmir remained cut off from the rest of the country, as this road remains the artery linking Punjab with the Kashmir. Armoured vehicles also arrived on the scene but of no use as protestors stood their ground. 

In the process, protestors got hold of few policemen, roughed them up by tearing their uniforms off. Realizing gravity of the situation, higher authorities called for Rangers deployment in the area, but even Rangers remained silent spectators. 

Meanwhile, rounds of negotiations took place between the locals and the city administration to not only get the area cleared and but also redress grievances of the locals with regard to police action and increased fares.

Article Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C03%5C19%5Cstory_19-3-2010_pg11_1

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