Four Killed in Crackdown on Pakistan Protesters

13/05/2001| IslamWeb

SARGODHA, Pakistan (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Pakistani police opened fire on pro-Taliban protesters on Friday, killing four, in a crackdown on a strike called by Islamic parties against government support for the U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan.The strike, which shut down most bazaars but attracted only small crowds, was called by the 35-party Afghanistan Defense Council in protest against Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's backing of the U.S. raids on the Taliban and their guest Osama bin Laden prime suspect in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider told reporters in Karachi that police opened fire on protesters at Shadan Lund railway station, 90 miles from the central Punjab city of Multan, after they set a police vehicle ablaze.
``The police opened fire and three protesters were killed on the spot, while six persons including three policemen were injured,'' Haider said.
``Later one of the injured protesters died in hospital.''
Haider said thousands of protesters had gathered at the station, blocking the main railway track. It was the biggest protest of the day, he said.
``We will not tolerate any more disruption in public life,'' Haider said. ``Enough is enough.''
The pro-Taliban Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) party said its members had taken four policemen hostage near Shadan Lund and would hold them until action was taken against the senior police officers responsible for the shooting.
``Yes, we have four policemen,'' Mohammad Riaz Durrani, the JUI's central secretary for information, told Reuters. He said the policemen would not be harmed. There was no immediate comment from police authorities on the report.