Long march: Imran Khan caused disorder in capital, police tell SC

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Police on Friday submitted their report to the Supreme Court, declaring Imran Khan responsible for causing disorder in the federal capital during PTI's "Azadi March".

The report, regarding the violence during PTI's long march on May 25, further stated that the party chairman had directed protesters to enter the Red Zone after the culmination of the march against the court's orders to hold a rally on H-9 ground.

The apex court, over Islamabad High Court Bar Association's (IHCBA) plea challenging the government's decision to block the roads to stop the march, had directed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and other relevant authorities to submit a report explaining whether the judicial orders were violated in the May 25 riots in Islamabad.

The SC has directed that the IGP of Islamabad, the Chief Commissioner of ICT, the Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, the Director-General of Intelligence Bureau, and the Director-General of ISI shall file reports answering, the following questions:

• At what time did Imran Khan make the announcement for party workers to reach D-Chowk?
• When, where and how did the crowd cross the barricade to enter a hitherto closed area?
• Was the crowd entering the Red Zone organised or supervised or did it move randomly?
• Were there any acts of provocation or breach of assurance by the government?
• Was any action or treatment meted out by the ICT police against the protesters disproportionate to the actual or perceived wrong committed by the protesters?
• How many protesters managed to enter the Red Zone? Which security arrangements, if any, were relaxed by the Executive authorities? Whether any security barrier cordons were broken or breached by protesters?
• Did any protester/party worker reach the G-9/ H-9 ground?
• How many civilians were injured/killed/ hospitalised/arrested?

In the report, the police stated that 700-800 protesters violated the court's orders by entering the Red Zone.

The police claimed that a total of 21 citizens were injured while the PTI protesters, equipped with arms and sticks, tried to enter the restricted area. During this, the police used tear gas shelling to disperse the protesters.

"The PTI Chairman Imran Khan told his workers to reach the D-Chowk in a video message. The police and law enforcers made every effort to stop the protesters but they advanced removing all containers and barriers on the night between May 25 and 26," the report stated, adding that the police didn't use any type of force when the protesters breached the security cordon.

The report further stated that the police themselves removed some of the barricades, mainly at Faizabad, Zero Point and 26 number Chowrangi, to let the participants of the march move towards the H-9 ground.

"None of the participants, including Imran Khan, reached the H-9 ground despite the judicial orders, while Fawad Chaudhry, Zartaj Gul, Saifullah Niazi and Imran Ismail kept provoking people," it added.

Islamabad Inspector-General Akbar Nasir Khan has also attached video evidence and tweets of the PTI leaders with the report.