Baku-APA. At least seven people have been killed in renewed clashes between Pakistani security forces and the supporters of an anti-government leader in the eastern city of Lahore, APA reports quoting Press TV.
Violence broke out on Saturday, after authorities blocked all roads leading to the residence of Muslim cleric, Tahir-ul-Qadri, in the city for the second consecutive day and pushed back his followers.
Officials said hundreds of people, including dozens of police officers, have been injured during the melee.
Following the incident, Qadri called off a large protest rally planned for Sunday, urging his supporters to hold smaller protests in their home towns.
In a televised address, he called on his supporters to "protest peacefully," but slammed the Islamabad government for orchestrating a "massacre in the name of a crackdown."
Qadri also accused the security forces of firing live bullets at his followers, saying that hospitals in Punjab Province have refused to treat the wounded people.
Qadri, Canada-based founder and chairman of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) political party, says the current Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is corrupt and only benefits the elite, demanding the country's political system be overthrown.
On Thursday, he threatened to march on Islamabad and oust Sharif’s government should the arrests of his followers continue.
Meanwhile, another march is expected to be held in the capital city of Islamabad next Thursday. It is called by opposition politician, Imran Khan, who accuses the government of failing to investigate alleged election irregularities.
In response to the planned demonstrations, Pakistan’s administration has tightened security in recent days.
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