-- Fortnight-long political impasse takes a violent turn;
-- 'Red Zone red line' crossed;
-- Protesters storm Parliament House;
-- Cabinet Division, PTV besieged;
-- At least 230, including several women, injured;
-- Thousands led by Imran, Qadri advance towards PM's House;
-- Clashes break out when PTI, PAT supporters try to 'take over' Presidency;
-- Police fire tear gas, rubber bullets to disperse protesters but five receive live bullet injuries;
-- Protests erupt in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad and Multan;
-- Imran addresses workers amid pitched battles;
-- PTI, MQM to observe 'Mourning Day' today.
At the same time, bullet-proof vehicle of Tahirul Qadri and the container of Imran Khan surrounded by their diehard supporters were on their way to the Prime Minister's House but at a snail's pace. The PTI chairman kept addressing his supporters from time to time by emerging from his container that he would not go back unless Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stepped down. He also said he would file cases against Nawaz Sharif and his interior minister for taking a coercive action against his 'unarmed', and 'peaceful workers'.
The PTI chairman also gave a countrywide strike call. Minutes after his call PTI workers staged demos in various cities. Over 30,000 security personnel deputed on the security of the Red Zone resorted to unprecedented teargas shelling and fired rubber bullets on thousands when they began to remove shipping containers placed on the main gate leading to PM's House after they tried to storm Presidency on their way to the Prime Minister's House.
Constitution Avenue was turned into a battlefield, with thousands of protesters, especially women and children, running here and there for shelter, some were still lying unconscious in the absence of any medical assistance. The PAT and PTI rallies headed by Allama Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan started marching towards the PM House, pressing for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the 17th day of their sit-ins. Before proceeding towards the PM house, both Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri pledged that their protests would be peaceful. Imran warned the government of dire consequences in case of any use of force on protesters.
"This is our democratic right as such protests often take place outside the 10 Downing Street and the White House", he added. Thousands of protesters have been staging sit-ins in front of Parliament House since August 14, pressing for resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation, accusing him of stealing the mandate of people through pre-poll rigging in 2013 general elections but they remained peaceful.
On Saturday night, protesters threatened to move on the PM house, the official residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, but the local administration headed by interior minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan finally lost patience and ordered the security personnel for a massive crackdown to disperse protesters before the siege the PM's House.
Addressing the participants of the sit-in before moving towards the PM house, Imran asked male members of the sit-in to lead. But Qadri decided to be in the forefront after he made an emotional speech in front of his followers, including children and women and little children. Young babies and women were the worst victims of tear gassing as scores of them were seen lying unconscious on the roads.
PTI chief said he was forced to proceed toward PM's House as the last resort after Nawaz Sharif refused to step down even for a month - a condition set by PTI to ensure a thorough probe into poll rigging through an independent judicial commission. "Nawaz Sharif told a lie on the floor of parliament. Isn't the democracy in jeopardy when a prime minister lies on the floor of National Assembly! Any nation can accept any sort of a prime minister but a liar," he maintained.
Imran said that Sharif dynasty had stashed their ill-wealth in foreign banks and promised that he would bring back all the money after coming into power. "Let me deal with Nawaz Sharif first and then I'll do a ruthless accountability across the board and the ultimate destiny of Nawaz Sharif and former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chadhary will be the jail," he added.
Despite the use of lethal tear gas and by rubber bullets by police, the protesters continued to march towards the Prime Minister's House situated on the hilltop of federal capital. A beleaguered interior minister Chaudhry Nisar also visited the Red Zone amid tight security. The minister reiterated that the government would leave no stone unturned in protecting the building.
The sources said that deputy commissioner Islamabad, Sher Dil, issued directives to the local police for firing tear gas and rubber bullets when they approached the gate of PM's House. An emergency has been declared in all city hospitals. The hospital sources said that over 200, including over 12 policemen, were rushed to Polyclinic and PIMS hospitals.
However, PTI central information secretary Dr Shireen Mazari said two women were killed, but PIMS spokesman Dr Wasim Khawaja reported no death. "We've received 110 people with rubber bullet injuries so far," he added. A spokesman for Polyclinic said that they have received 92 injured. The hospital sources said that the police was arresting the injured at hospitals. Ambulance sirens can be heard in Islamabad.