Pakistani troops called out in Islamabad to control violent protest

Pakistani army troops were called out in the capital Islamabad after thousands of members of a religious group torched a bus station and vehicle near the parliament building on Sunday, the army said.

The demonstrators were protesting against the last month hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, a police security guard who had killed former governor Punjab province, Salman Taseer.

The protesters came from across the country entered the high security zone that house the parliament building, some embassies and other key government buildings.

The police had earlier blocked roads to the parliament by placing containers; however, the demonstrators succeeded to the cordon and went very close to the parliament house and the parliament lodges, the residences of the lawmakers.

The protesters and the law enforcement agencies clashed at several places as the demonstrators tried to break the cordons. A senior paramilitary officer was injured. The police also arrested several protesters.

The demonstrators later torched a metro bus station and several vehicles, police said. The army was called out to restore peace as the police could not controlled the unruly mob.

"Army has been requisitioned by the Govt to control situation and secure Red Zone," the army spokesman, Lt Gen Asim Bajwa said. Enditem