The breakdown in talks at the month long mark has cast a shadow over the fragile stop-start negotiation process between the government and the protesting parties.
However, the government defended its crackdown on protesters, claiming only those people were being arrested who were involved in acts of violence including the attack on Pakistan Television Network building.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
- PAT have called off negotiations with the government following arrest of a member of their negotiation team
- PTI too have broken off talks citing arrest of their DJ and other supporters
- Both, PTI chief Imran Khan and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri have given supporters permission to react in kind if the police moves to arrest them or uses aggression
Read all our coverage of PTI's Azadi March here and the Inqilab March here.
Updates of the Islamabad protests from September 12 and 13, 2014, can be found here.
Imran Khan appears on stage for the last time this evening. He presents his ideology for a 'Naya' (new) Pakistan.
'In naya pakistan, law will be equal for everyone, whether for the prime minister or for the common man. '
He goes on to add that they will provide education, health, food and easy access to justice. 'We will allocate the most funds for education. No government has allocated as much funds as we have done in K-P. We will spend most of the money on teachers.'
It is believed that his will add to his earlier outline of a unified education system with a focus on Allama Iqbal, though not immediately clear whether these are two cogs of the same education policy.
Further, the PTI chief adds that they will implement such a local government system in which every village will have access to their own development funds, run their own schools and have greater power over services sector. To ensure that the police does not only serve the needs of the rich and powerful, a village 'committee' will be formed oversee workings of local police.
On the economic front, Imran Khan says as prime minister, if brought into power by the people he adds quickly, they will not seek loans. In the event of a budget deficit, Imran asks his supporters if they think he will go and ask for loans? The crowd responds in 'No'. Imran continues that if their expenses exceed their income, they will try to cut their expenses to balance the books.
Amid reports of a baton-charge by police, Imran directs his supporters to take them on. He goes on to advise his supporters move around in groups of 100 so that even if the police tries to arrest them, the PTI supporters can 'attack' the police. Imran justifies it, claiming that the police is operating illegally if they try to arrest supporters.
Imran Khan has returned below, into the container.
An Islamabad police official seems to have been apprehended by PTI supporters who rough the officer up. However, please from the PTI organising committee sees the officer being led away from the thick of supporters.
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PTI is also protesting in Karachi at Sea View and at Hyderi in North Nazimabad.
#AzadiSquare 13.09.2014 huge crowd at #Karachi protest. http://ift.tt/WZ0j0d
- PTI (@PTIofficial) September 13, 2014
PAT president Raheeq Abbasi has arrived atop the PTI container near D-Chowk following instructions from Dr Tahirul Qadri.
Abbasi says the government thought they would hold the longest joint session in the history of Pakistan and call the protesters traitors, but all it showed was that the parties in parliament were united against the people who who had gathered outside the parliament against their governance.
Police & govt have run amok registering FIRs against PTI mbrs not even in Pak presently like Fauzia Kasuri in Margala Thana FIR 629!Shameful
- Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) September 13, 2014
Posted by Unknown on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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