FAISALABAD/BAHAWALPUR - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Wednesday called for protests across several cities in Punjab as the government imposed Section 144 besides tightening security in various districts to maintain law and order.
The protests come in response to the PTI’s demand for the release of their detained leaders.
In view of the PTI’s protest call, Section 144 was imposed for two days in several divisions, including Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, and Sargodha.
Major routes leading into and out of Bahawalpur were sealed, with containers placed at strategic locations such as Qutubpur Toll Plaza and Mewati in Dunyapur, as well as at the Empress Bridge connecting Lodhran and Bahawalpur. Checkposts have been erected on five main highways leading from Lodhran to Bahawalpur.
In Mianwali, entry and exit points of the district have also been sealed, cutting the city off from surrounding areas. As part of the government’s crackdown, mobile phone services have been suspended in Mianwali, though internet access is available via Wi-Fi and DSL services.
Faisalabad also witnessed heightened security measures. The city’s motorway interchange was sealed, and the police force has been deployed on all entry points to the city to restrict access to ordinary citizens, with convoys also banned.
All eight major markets in Faisalabad were shut down and sealed with barbed wire. Police also conducted raids across Faisalabad, arresting over 200 PTI activists, including two MPAs Ismail Seela and Hasan Niazi from Jhang Bazaar, as well as the brother of Sahibzada Hamid Raza. The arrests took place ahead of a planned PTI protest at Chowk Ghant Ghar.
The Red Zone in Islamabad has once again been sealed ahead of anticipated protest by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). According to details, containers have been placed on roads leading to the Red Zone, with only Margalla Road remaining open for access.
Containers have also been placed at Faizabad on the Express Highway, causing long queues of vehicles. Early in the morning, citizens heading to offices and educational institutions faced significant difficulties on the roads. Despite the restrictions, PTI’s leadership remains resolute, affirming their plans to continue with rallies across Punjab as originally scheduled.
A day earlier, former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan issued a renewed call for nationwide protests. He urged supporters to stand up for the judiciary’s independence by joining rallies.
Imran Khan called for demonstrations in Mianwali, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, and a major power show at D-Chowk in Islamabad this coming Friday.
A meeting of PTI’s parliamentary party has decided to stage a mammoth protest demonstration at Islamabad’s D-Chowk on October 4.
The parliamentary party meeting, chaired by PTI firebrand leader and KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur, also decided that a special and “trained” vanguard will reach at the jalsa venue ahead of the caravans.
CM Gandapur will lead all the protest rallies marching on Islamabad, the meeting decided.
Faisalabad City Police Officer (CPO) Kamran Adil claimed in a statement on Wednesday that Faisalabad remained peaceful as the police contingent remained alert and immediately responded to the unauthorized gathering. He said that the government had prohibited public gathering. Hence, the police department had deputed sufficient number of security personnel to maintain law and order.
He said that the security personnel performed their duties diligently to provide safety and security to the lives and properties of the masses and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the district so far. The section 144 would be implemented in toto and no one would be allowed to take law into hand, he added.