ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad police on Friday agreed to provide security to the mosques and other institutions affiliated with the banned Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) and its office bearers.

The agreement was reached between the ICT administration and the ASWJ protesters mostly seminary students as they started march towards the Parliament House.

They were protesting against ‘target killings and kidnappings’ of their office bearers.

The local leaders of the proscribed outfit blamed the authorities for failing to stop what they called ‘rising cases of terrorism against them’.

“Our people are being killed in the twin cites but we remain committed to our peaceful co-existence,” said ASWJ Islamabad President Ghulam Mustafa Baloch, who led the march.

However, the Islamabad police stopped the march near Melody by placing containers on the street near National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).

To prevent the movement of ASWJ, police closed the Red Zone entry points at Serena Hotel too, and the Red Zone could be accessed through Margalla Road.

The unexpected road closures rendered the vehicular traffic stranded at various spots.

However, after negotiations between ASWJ and the Islamabad police, the protesters dispersed.

The administration assured the ASWJ leaders that they would investigate the murders of its workers.

The other demands included withdrawal of minor cases against its leaders and establishment of joint investigation team to probe the killings of their workers.

It was also decided that a special investigation team led by SP retired Captain Ilyas was being formed to investigate the killings.

Published in Dawn March 7th, 2015

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