A boy among victims of vignette protests
The boy was killed in Peshawar. There was another death in Lahore, where students are pressing ahead with violent rallies. In the North West Frontier Province, all educational institutions have been shut down for a week.
Lahore (AsiaNews) The third day of violence in Pakistan thanks to protests against the "blasphemous" vignettes has seen more deaths. Today's death toll amounted to three. A man and an eight-year-old child were killed in Peshawar in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), bordering Afghanistan. Dozens of injured people were admitted in the two town hospitals. Another was killed, meanwhile, in Lahore, where demonstrations are being organized by university students.
The police said more than 70,000 people filled the streets of Peshawar. Protesters, armed with stones and sticks, burned down two cinemas, a supermarket and a gas station. Many buildings were damaged. "They divided into groups and attack anything they find in their path," said one eyewitness. Baton-wielding police intervened, and even resorted to use of tear gas to disperse protesters who were yelling anti-Denmark and anti-US slogans.
According to the police chief in Peshawar, Riffat Pasha, one of the two victims was killed when an electricity pole fell on him. The boy was killed in a different area of the city as a group of protesters set fire to some shops. The Education Minister said all education institutions in NWFP will be closed down for a week.
Violent protests animated by university students are also under way in the province of Punjab. Today another person died in Lahore, bringing up to three the number of victims of these two days of violence in the city. Since yesterday, local authorities have forbidden any manifestation. An official statement said public meetings may still be held, but only in specific places and with the permission of the city administration.
The Punjab governor, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, said: "Being Muslims, we share the grief over the caricatures and we will not stop the protests but the violence."
He announced a meeting with Muslim clerics today to discuss the situation. Addressing a press conference, Elahi added: "We'll also assess the damage in a couple of days and then act on compensation for the loss of property."
Yesterday in Islamabad, MPs joined the protests; many women and minority MPs participated in the march.
In the last 48 hours, many protests have been held also in Faisalbad, Gujranwal and Hyderabad.
.png)
23/01/2023 11:28
04/11/2020 11:14
03/11/2020 11:36
03/12/2018 14:08
