Islamabad: Islamabad has been virtually under siege for the past one week by a few hundred members of two religious parties who have blocked the city’s major expressway, causing massive problems for the residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

The protest by the activists of two religious parties, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan, entered its eighth day on Wednesday, shutting down public transport and choking major roads of the city.

The situation turned violent on Tuesday when at least five police officials were assaulted by the protestors. The clash took place at sector I-8 of Islamabad where demonstrators, armed with sticks and stones, assaulted five officials. Later, over a dozen protestors were arrested by police and cases were registered against them for attacking police officials.

What began on October 25 with a few dozen protesters swelled into 2,000 protestors, led by a firebrand cleric, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who are in Islamabad demanding the removal of the country’s law minister over a recently omitted reference to the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in a constitutional bill. Although the omission was immediately rectified, it has failed to satisfy some radical clerics.

The continuing sit-in at the Faizabad crossing — one of the major roads that connect Islamabad and Rawalpindi — has left commuters marooned as this intersection is also a major link between Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

The rally has severely disrupted public life and prompted Islamabad police to place shipping containers on main roads to prevent the protesters from entering the city, a move that has added to people’s woes.

Criticising the government for not handling the situation promptly, Sohaib Mohammad, an Islamabad-based engineer said: ‘The situation is getting unbearable day by day. It’s an absolute misery travelling to office, which takes 3 hours every day and 2 hours on the way back.”

The Metro Bus service, which is used by around 120,000 people daily, has also been partially suspended for security reasons.

“It is unbelievable that Islamabad is being held hostage by a few hundred molvis (clerics) which reveals the incompetency of the Government and police”, Nighat Irfan, a school teacher, said.

The protest is also affecting academic activities as students, including those taking their A’ Level exams, could not reach examination halls in time. “The government has not taken any initiative to provide any relief to the people. Who will be responsible if the students lose their academic year?” asked an irritated parent, Mobeen Hussain.

Citizens of Islamabad have urged the Supreme Court to take suo moto notice and ban such processions.

Analysts view the protest as a religious and political controversy. Pakistan’s known author and journalist, Zahid Hussain, in his article published in Dawn on Wednesday asked, “Why are those who preach hate allowed to participate in electoral politics?” adding that it is in violation of the country’s laws.

Blaming the government for the Islamabad siege, Zahid said: “It is mainly the weakness of the administration and an increasingly divided state authority that has given these zealots complete impunity.”

The Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Wednesday said the federal government wanted to peacefully end the sit-in. “The government had nominated a team under Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Raja Zafar ul Haq to negotiate with the protestors,” he told media.

Federal Minister of Religious Affairs Sardar Mohammad Yousaf repeated that the government firmly believes in the finality of Prophethood and there is no ambiguity over the clause. “I request the protestors to end their demonstration because the government has taken notice of their reservations,” he said.

Minister of Interior Ahsan Iqbal said in a statement that, “The government is avoiding extreme action so that extremists cannot take advantage of it.” He added that the government is “trying to avoid violence.” However, he stressed that putting people’s lives at risk is a criminal offense.

Iqbal added that the “Tehreek Labbaik leaders can protest but should avoid challenging the law,” adding that he hoped the protesters would not force the government to take “extreme measures.”