Yesterday was a day of high political action here in Islamabad. Nawaz Sharif is now under virtual house arrest in Saudi Arabia, but at least he has a lavish mansion to rattle around in.
Meanwhile, the impact of locking large areas of Rawalpindi, home to Islamabad’s airport, fell heavily on ordinary Pakistanis. Imran Naeem Ahmad reports:
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s return to Islamabad was brief yet in the run-up to his arrival and subsequent deportation, the public remained at the receiving end of the callous authorities who laid a mighty siege of the town.
From barbed wires to tractor trolleys and from long-bodied trucks to picket fences – all resources were brought into use to block major roads leading to the Islamabad International Airport that left commuters and residents facing great trouble…
While Islamabad remained relatively quiet, the authorities in Rawalpindi felt the heat somewhat as groups of Sharif loyalists played hide and seek with police at Liaquat Bagh and the Katchery Chowk. This prompted the law enforcers to pull out their tear gas guns that they used excessively to disperse the crowds.
Caught in the exchanges were scores of innocent bystanders and pedestrians who were ruthlessly beaten by the police, although they were not creating trouble of any kind.
