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2014 Koral Chowk riot, also known as the 2014 Islamabad Airport riot, was a scuffle that erupted between the police and Pakistan Awami Tehreek supporters who had encountered hurdles on their way to receive their leader Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad, Pakistan. The police were given strict instructions from the government to not use excessive force against the activists and to seal off the area leading to the airport with shipping containers. Upon encountering these hurdles, PAT activists tried to remove them and were intercepted by police in riot gear.

A similar clash between the police and the PAT activists in Model Town, Lahore on 17 June 2014 had resulted in 12 casualties by police gunfire. The PAT supporters were already angry at this earlier police action and when they broke through the hurdles, the police resorted to baton charge and tear gas shelling. The scuffle lasted for several hours resulting in the injuries of 150 people (including both policemen and activists).

Background
On 16 June 2014, the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) founder and chief Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri warned the government of "serious consequences" if anything was to happen to him on his return to Pakistan on 23 June 2014. For some time, Qadri had been amassing the support of political parties in the opposition to form a grand alliance against the incumbent Nawaz Sharif administration. Qadri had successfully rallied for and acquired the support of political stalwarts like Pakistan Muslim League (Q) president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed in forming a "grand alliance" against the government.

Initial government security plans
In anticipation of the arrival of PAT chief Tahir-ul-Qadri on 23 June 2014 at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, the Capital Territory Police had been instructed by the government to cordon off all roads leading to the airport. Complying with their instructions, the police blocked all roads leading to the airport at the Faizabad Interchange by placing shipping containers and trucks on the Murree Road, Islamabad Highway, IJ Principal Road and other link roads.

Qadri was scheduled to arrive at the Islamabad airport via the Emirates Airline flight EK-612 at 7:30 am PKT where the government had planned to intercept him and transport him to Lahore via a helicopter or a small aircraft. The initial security plan was drafted in a high-level meeting chaired by Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to avoid any "untoward situations" upon Qadri's arrival. The plan also considered putting the cleric under house arrest after he had been transported to Lahore.

Access to airport blocked
The government had "genuine security concerns" regarding Qadri's followers that would be gathering outside Islamabad airport especially after the Model Town tragedy that left several protesters dead after a crackdown coordinated by the Punjab Police. Therefore, the government ordered the police and the district administrations of Islamabad and Rawalpindi to block off access to roads leading to the airport. On 22 June 2013, the district administrations of the two cities blocked all major roads by placing heavy shipping containers at important junctions forcing "thousands of vehicles [to remain] stranded".

To ensure adequate security measures, leaves of all law enforcement personnel were cancelled and the cellular services were suspended throughout the two cities. The interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan expressed concerns that a sit-on or rally could result in an anti-government "march towards Islamabad" signalling an intention to "disintegrate the government through unconstitutional means".

Air passengers with confirmed tickets were allowed passage through these blockades. Later, a bus shuttle service was also organised to take passengers to the airport from the areas that were cordoned off. Even with these measures in place, there were long queues outside the airport with people waiting for the luggage to be checked-in and granted access.

Initial confrontation
In the early hours on the morning of 23 June 2014, the PAT activists staged a sit-in at the Koral Chowk near the airport from where they gathered in numbers to walk towards the airport and receive their leader. The procession of supporters reached their first hurdle just off the Koral Chowk at around 3:30 am. The crowd of people gathered to receive Qadri had been "vigorously [waving] party flags and [chanting] slogans hailing the resolve and courage of [their leader]". It was then that some PAT workers allegedly started removing the barriers to move through the blockade.

A contingent of police standing guard in riot gear near the blockade charged at the miscreants armed with batons and started shelling at the crowd with tear gas canisters to disperse them. The PAT workers were resolute and broke through the security cordon unfazed by the police dispersal measures. The situation quickly escalated into a violent clash between the PAT supporters and the police.

Violent clashes and riots
The angry mob used flag hoists as improvised clubs to hit the policemen while some threw bricks and stones at the law enforcement personnel. On the other hand, the police officers had specific orders not to use excessive force in any such circumstance and the police officers merely countered the amassing crowds with batons and tear gas shelling. According to the hospitals and the Rescue 1122 teams, around 47 injured were brought to the Allied hospitals in Rawalpindi amongst which were 37 policemen and 10 protesters.

Aftermath
With PAT workers finally reaching the airport, the government decided to redirect Qadri's flight to Lahore to curtail further violence on the streets of Islamabad.