LAHORE - Heavy police contingents were deployed on the route of the rally as former PM Nawaz Sharif left Jati Umra to go back to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat following expiry of his weeks-long bail.
An official said that hundreds of officials of the anti-riot force were deployed on roads and crossings on the route of the rally to maintain peace, and law and order.
Lahore’s SSP (Operations) Ismail Kharak supervised the security arrangements during the rally. A large number of plainclothesmen were also deputed among the participants of the rally to monitor the activities of the party workers.
A few jail officials reached Jati Umra to take into custody the former PM before the sunset. However, they left back empty handed as Nawaz Sharif came out of his residence to reach Kot Lakhpat jail himself in the form of rally. The PML-N workers started slogans in favour of their leader as Nawaz Sharif waved to the crowds outside his residence.
Also, some media reports suggested that the officials locked the jail on Tuesday night. The jail authorities in a letter sent to the provincial home department late Tuesday claimed that the PML-N leader failed to reach the jail on time. Now, the home department would decide whether Nawaz Sharif would be jailed despite coming late in violation of the jail rules, an official said.