Protestors challenged the writ of the state: IG Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad Police, Nasir Rizvi strongly condemning the violent activities during the recent PTI protest asserted that the protestors were challenging the writ of the state.

“What kind of protest involves assaults on law enforcement?”, the IG questioned while addressing a press conference alongside Chief Commissioner Islamabad on Wednesday afternoon.  

Asserting that there is a clear difference between peaceful demonstrations and terrorism, he revealed that police and Rangers were attacked, with 26 Rangers personnel sustaining gunshot injuries.

He also mentioned that demonstrators used various weapons, attacked state resources, and damaged 167 Safe City cameras.

Additionally, he expressed concern over reports of foreign nationals being part of the protests, further complicating the situation. He said from now on all illegal foreigners will be expelled.

He added that state resources from a provincial government were allegedly used against the federation, emphasizing the need to differentiate genuine protests from acts of terrorism.

Security sources dismiss claims of protester deaths

Police recovered 39 dangerous weapons from protesters and are currently assessing the damages caused during the demonstrations.

Chief Commissioner Islamabad stressed that over 2.5 million citizens were confined to their homes due to the unrest.

He assured that all routes in Islamabad have been cleared, and the order has been restored. “No one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands,” he said.

The officials emphasized that while peaceful protests are a democratic right, challenges to the writ of the state and damage to public property cannot be tolerated. Actions have been taken to re-establish control and uphold the rule of law.