Protesters storm PTV office in Islamabad, stop transmission

ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of anti-government protesters demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation today stormed the office of Pakistan's state television here and blocked its transmission.

Protesters barged into the Pakistan Television ( PTV) network office smashing cameras and entered the control room, Dawn News reported.

The protesters seemed to have faced no security obstacles. Over 800 protesters entered the building.

Army personnel reached the headquarters of the TV station and asked the protesters to leave the building immediately.

Later, protesters responded to the calls by army personnel and started to leave the PTV headquarters.

Thousands of supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf () chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahir-ul-Qadiri are battling with the police since Saturday night to reach the front of the Prime Minister's House.

The clashes started when both Khan and Qadri asked their followers, camping in front of the Parliament, to shift the venue of protest to lawns of Premier's House.

Khan immediately denied that his party men were part of the protesters that had stormed the TV station.

"Whoever has entered the PTV headquarters are not our workers. I have not told any worker to proceed towards PM House or enter any building, the chief said.

Khan added that whoever from his party entered the PTV headquarters will be removed from the party.

The protesters who stormed the PTV building were chanting slogans in favour of the Pakistan Army.

The demonstrators wrote Qadri's name on the walls of the PTV headquarters, Express News reported.

Qadri asked his followers to vacate the building.