PESHAWAR
\nThe Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) protest against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government turned violent on Monday after police fired tear gas to disperse workers attempting to enter the Red Zone near the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
\nThe demonstration, held under the banner of the \u201cSave the Province Campaign,\u201d saw PPP workers clashing with police near Assembly Chowk.
\nTear gas shelling forced the protesting crowd to disperse, while some workers retaliated by pelting stones at the police.
\nAmid the chaos, PPP workers reportedly set fire to a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) camp, including its equipment and chairs, which had been set up at Assembly Chowk.
\nPolice officials stated that law enforcement only responded when protestors tried to breach the Red Zone, adding that no PPP leader was harmed and no arrests were made.
\nPPP leaders, however, claimed the protest was peaceful until provoked by police action. Speaking to reporters, PPP leader Salim Khan condemned the use of tear gas and termed the police action as violence against peaceful demonstrators.
\nHe claimed several PPP leaders and workers were injured and have been shifted to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) in critical condition.
\nPPP MPA Ihsanullah accused PTI supporters of disrupting the protest. \u201cPTI goons attacked our peaceful demonstration, set our banners on fire, and the police resorted to baton-charge and shelling,\u201d he said. \u201cBut these tactics will not discourage us. This movement will only gain strength.\u201d
\nIn response, PTI leaders in Peshawar alleged that the PPP deliberately set fire to their camp in an attempt to dramatize a failed rally and later instigated violence by attacking police personnel with stones.
\nMeanwhile, Governor KP Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the police action and termed it undemocratic. \u201cThe government\u2019s violent response to a peaceful protest is evidence of its failure and desperation,\u201d he stated. \u201cThe strong public turnout in the Save the Province campaign has clearly exposed the weaknesses of the provincial administration.\u201d
\nThe situation remains tense in the area, with heightened security around the provincial assembly and calls for an impartial investigation into the incident.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) protest against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government turned violent on Monday after police fired tear gas to disperse workers attempting to enter the Red Zone near the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. The demonstration, held under the banner of the \u201cSave the Province Campaign,\u201d saw PPP workers clashing with police near Assembly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":480972,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-480962","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-peshawar"},"yoast_head":"\n