Thaindian News

Islamabad, Sep 20 (IANS) As a large number of people created a ruckus near Islamabad’s diplomatic enclave Thursday while staging a protest over an anti-Islam US film, the Pakistani government said it would protect foreign diplomats “at all costs”.

Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that it was the government’s responsibility to protect foreign diplomats “at all costs”, Geo News reported.

The Punjab government should have ensured that the protesters who came from Rawalpindi and Murree were stopped from entering Islamabad, Kaira said while appealing protesters to remain peaceful and urging political and religious parties to refrain from fuelling hate and destroying the country.

At least 36 people, including policemen, suffered injuries near the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad Thursday and the army had to be called in to contain a massive protest being staged against a controversial anti-Islam US film.

The demonstrators clashed with the police as they tried to enter the red zone and diplomatic enclave in Islamabad.

The Pakistani Army was summoned to protect the red zone and diplomatic enclave in Islamabad from demonstrators. Islamabad’s diplomatic enclave is home to most Western embassies, including the US, British and French missions.

Clashes broke out when thousands of university and college students from the neighbouring Rawalpindi city tried to force into the diplomatic enclave to register their protest at the US embassy over US film “Innocence of Muslims”, reported Samma TV.