PTI protesters choke twin cities

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD         -    The leaders and supporters of Pakistan Tehree-e-Insaaf (PTI) continued protest demonstrations on Monday against the assassination attempt on former premier Imran Khan blocking all major roads by burning tyres in the twin cities including Motorway and Murree Expressway while paralyzing normal life. The PTI workers and leaders also held protests in Lahore, Karachi and other major cities and blocked roads. In Lahore, a number of PTI supporters marched towards the Punjab Governor House chanting anti-government slogans. In the twin cities, gigantic traffic jams occurred on almost all major roads including Peshawar Road, IJP Road, Srinagar Highway, Murree Road and other link roads. The highups of Rawalpindi and Islamabad traffic police issued advisories for commuters on social media and TV channels. Though chief of Rawalpindi police have deputed a heavy contingent of police force on all the places yet the cops allegedly did not stop the protestors of PTI from blocking roads. However, the traffic police of the twin cities placed diversions to regulate traffic. Meanwhile, following the prevailing law and order situation, the district administration Rawalpindi announced that all local educational institutions will remain closed for two days. According to a notification issued by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (HQ) for Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi, the institutions will remain closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Surprisingly, Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi along with his dozens of supporters and police security kept playing cricket on the Motorway when the public and commuters were suffering a lot due to the roads blockage by the violent supporters of PTI. In Rawalpindi, a PTI worker touched high voltage electricity wires after climbing up a pole in Shamasabad on Murree Road during a protest demonstration. Rescue 1122 rushed the victim to Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) for medical treatment. According to details, the PTI leaders and workers agitated on as many as 16 points of the twin cities to denounce the attack on Imran Khan. Mess of protestors on roads caused massive traffic jams on all the roads leading to Rawalpindi and Islamabad. A large number of PTI workers assembled at Murree Road under the leadership of MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafqiue, MPA Fayyaz Ul Hassan Chohan, Raja Rashid Hafeez and Arif Abbasi and blocked the road for traffic by torching tyres. Traffic was put on a halt at Shamasabad, Double Road and Faizabad. A protest demonstration was also held by the PTI in Rawat. The protestors blocked GT Road by setting tyres on fire. The charged protesters of PTI chanted slogans against the PDM government and in favour of Imran Khan. Dozens of PTI workers also gathered at Gulzar-e-Quaid and staged a protest demonstration. Similarly, over 100 PTI workers and leaders Murree chapter also blocked Murree Expressway by holding a demonstration. Led by MNA Prof Sadaqat Ali Abbasi and MPA Maj (R) Latasab Satti.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt