Pakistan clashes leave 7 dead

100 hurt as police confront followers of cleric-politician

A Pakistani police officer scuffles with a female protester Tuesday in Lahore, where clashes between police and followers of a preacher have turned deadly.
A Pakistani police officer scuffles with a female protester Tuesday in Lahore, where clashes between police and followers of a preacher have turned deadly.

LAHORE, Pakistan -- At least seven people died and about 100 were injured in Lahore in violent clashes between the police and followers of Muhammad Tahir-ul Qadri, a fiery preacher turned political activist who has called for a mass movement against the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The clashes began around midnight Monday, when large contingents of police officers reached the headquarters of Awami Tehreek, Qadri's party, and demanded the removal of barricades on roads leading to the headquarters and Qadri's residence, calling them illegal. The barricades were set up four years ago after Qadri issued a decree against the Taliban and received death threats from the militants.

Workers for the party resisted the police demands, and the situation turned violent. On Tuesday morning, the police called for reinforcements, including heavy machinery, bulldozers and armored vehicles, to disperse Qadri's supporters. Several women and men lay down in front of barriers on the road, challenging the police to run a bulldozer over them.

Police used tear gas and batons against charging protesters before firing bullets into the air to disperse the crowd. Businesses in nearby commercial areas quickly shut down as Model Town, the residential neighborhood around the party's headquarters, became a battle zone.

The dead included at least five men and two women, workers at Jinnah Hospital said. The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, said at a news conference that eight people had been killed and 97 injured.

Chaudhry Shafique, the Lahore police chief, blamed the protesters for the violence, saying they had taken the law into their hands.

"When the police went to remove illegally set up barricades, the workers of the party started pelting stones from roofs and threw petrol bombs," he said.

Twenty-seven police officers were among the injured. Shafique said five civilian deaths had been confirmed, attributing them to gunfire from the Qadri camp. Workers for Qadri's party, however, said police had fired directly into the crowd.

In January 2013, Qadri, who is based in Canada, led a march of thousands of followers to Islamabad to demand electoral changes and the removal of the previous government, which was led by the Pakistan People's Party.

According to the Pakistani Constitution, Qadri cannot take part in elections because of his dual Pakistani and Canadian citizenship. And despite an ability to mobilize thousands in the streets, he has not attained much formal political power. His party won just one seat in Parliament when it took part in 2002 elections.

Qadri's profile rose again after he threatened to topple Nawaz Sharif's government, accusing it of having risen to power by rigging general elections last year. Qadri has announced that he plans to arrive in Islamabad on Monday and has urged the Pakistani military to provide him protection.

Qadri has sought support for what he promises will be a revolution, but he so far has been able to win the backing of only a handful of politicians who failed to win seats in last year's elections.

Government officials have hinted that Qadri might be arrested if he tries to return to Pakistan next week. They also have warned of possible money-laundering investigations against him.

On Tuesday, Qadri, in a telephone address to supporters, condemned what he called highhandedness by police. He said authorities had challenged a peaceful movement and that the police had fired on unarmed protesters.

In a post on Twitter, Qadri said that the Pakistani government, "gripped by fear of my arrival," was harassing his party's workers.

A Section on 06/18/2014

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