LAHORE: At least six people were killed and hundreds wounded as law enforcement agencies finally launched an operation to clear Faizabad interchange from protesters on Saturday.
The six killed were identified as Hafiz Mohammad Adeel, Jahanzaib Butt, Abdul Rehman, Mohammad Sharjeel, Zohaib Ahmed and Mohammad Irfan.
The injured also include senior police officials, nine police officers and a polio vaccinator.
Read more: Protests spread to cities nationwide over Islamabad’s operation
Demonstrators took to the streets in major cities around the country to protest massive crackdown by security forces in Islamabad.
Protesters started gathering at key points across the country including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpur Azad Kashmir, Tando Allahyar, Jacobabad, Chakwal, Sabrial, Faisalabad and Gujranwala.
In Karachi, 35 people – including two policemen – sustained injuries as agitators blocked main arteries such as Sharea Faisal and forcibly shut down shops in Saddar.
Read more: Islamabad sit-in: Govt summons army to control law and order situation
Initially, when the crackdown began, the government seemed to have an upper hand. However, things escalated when protests erupted in other major cities as well and more agitators poured in the capital in response to the crackdown.
After a day-long operation against the protestors, the government ordered the deployment of the army in Islamabad under Article 245 of the Constitution to aid civilian law-enforcement agencies in restoring the peace.