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                   Pakistan Protesters Continue Sit-in Rally

   by Ayaz Gul

   Hundreds of Islamist activists have occupied a busy crossing in
   Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, for a fourth consecutive day to protest
   the execution of a man who assassinated a provincial governor who had
   been seeking reforms in the country's blasphemy laws.

   Supporters of Mumtaz Qadri, who killed Salman Taseer in 2011 while he
   was governing the country's most populous province of Punjab, have
   refused to disperse until the government meets their demands, including
   assurances it will not allow amendments to the blasphemy laws.

   They are also demanding the hanging of a Christian woman whom the slain
   governor had defended against blasphemy allegations.

   The sit-in demonstration near the Pakistani parliament has disrupted
   routine official and business activities in parts of Islamabad because
   authorities had switched off all cell phone services in the city and
   blocked roads to prevent others from trying to join the protest from
   other parts of Pakistan.

   The rally began on Sunday, the same day a massive suicide bombing
   targeted Easter celebrations in the city of Lahore and killed at least
   72 people, many of them Christians.

   The protesters marched through Islamabad, leaving a trail of
   destruction before finally descending for the sit-in demonstration near
   the parliament late Sunday night. Police used teargas and rubber
   bullets to prevent them from staging the gathering in the capital,
   prompting clashes with protesters that wounded several security
   personnel.

   Authorities estimate the rampage caused massive damage to the so-called
   Metro Bus infrastructure, which is used by tens of thousands of people,
   mostly government employees, to travel daily between the two cities.

   Police have arrested more than 200 people for their role in the
   violence and rally leaders have included their immediate release in
   their list of demands.

   Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan said officials are negotiating with
   rally leaders to ask them to peacefully disperse and has promised a
   police crackdown sometime on Wednesday to evict the protesters if the
   talks fail.

   He also dismissed the rally's demands as illegal, saying the dialogue
   is about giving safe passage to those not involved in the "destruction
   and vandalism."

   Authorities reinforced police deployments around the rally area
   Wednesday morning and vehicles entering Islamabad were being subjected
   to tight security.

   Khan vowed to bring those responsible to justice, though critics are
   skeptical and are severely criticizing the government's security
   measures, as well as its claims of countering religious extremism in
   the country.

   It is surprising that such a large and violent crowd easily managed to
   reach the federal capital from Rawalpindi, observed independent Human
   Rights Commission of Pakistan.

   "It is a matter of inquiry whether that was made possible because of
   any supporters among the ranks of the police tasked with stopping the
   protesters, or plain incompetence of the administration," it said.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/pakistan-protesters-continue-sit-in-r
   ally/3260827.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/pakistan-protesters-continue-sit-in-rally/3260827.html