LAHORE: Staff of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) took to the streets in several cities of Punjab on Friday to precise their indignation over an attempt on their leader Imran Khan’s life.
The PTI employees and supporters vandalised public property outside the Governor House’s on Mall Road, leading to a traffic jam. Earlier, some PTI activists tried to enter the Governor House by scaling the gate, and flew the party flags. Many others tried to go pass the barriers placed by the law enforcement personnel.
Members of the Insaf Lawyers’ Forum also gathered there earlier. The protests affected traffic at Thokar Niaz Beg and Shahdara Chowk besides Mall Road’s GPO intersection.
The PTI lawyers also tried to enter Cantonment to protest outside the corps commander’s house however the military police (MP) stopped them at a picket outside the Fortress Stadium. The variety of MP personnel on entry and exit points of the realm was increased to stop any untoward incident.
PTI supporters go berserk outside Governor House
The protesters also blocked Ring Road, Harbanspura interchange, Ferozepur Road and Walton Road, denying passage to motorists. The party employees and supporters thronged Ferozepur Road near Kalma Chowk and set tyres on fire. In addition they occupied the road of the metrobus service. Others protested at Sherakot and Babu Sabu interchange.
The PTI employees led protests in 25 cities including Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Bhakkar, Rawalpindi, Bahawalnagar, DG Khan, Rajanpur, Sialkot, Layyah, Gujrat, Vehari, Muzaffargarh, Alipur, Mianwali, Sahiwal and Okara.
In Gujrat, several areas including Shaheen Bypass Road were closed for traffic. In Bahawalnagar, protests took place at Rafiq Shah, while in Rajanpur, supporters staged demonstrations at Chowk Allahabad, Rojhan, Fazilpur and Jampur.
In Layyah, the protesters blocked the road at Gadai Mor in Kot Sultan.
MIANWALI: Protests continued for the second day running within the hometown of the PTI chief.
Traders observed a shutter-down strike within the district to precise solidarity with Imran Khan.
Prayers for recovery and longevity of the PTI leader were offered in mosques. After Friday prayers, PTI employees gathered at most important Ikram Shaheed Chowk and blocked the traffic on the roads leading towards Bannu, Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore.
The charged crowd chanted slogans against the federal government and held it chargeable for hatching an assassination plan.
TOBA TEK SINGH: Protest demonstrations were held in Faisalabad where 1000’s of PTI supporters blocked traffic at District Council Chowk.
PTI divisional coordinator Faizullah Kamoka (a former MNA) and others demanded arrest of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan for allegedly planning the attack to kill Imran Khan.
In Toba Tek Singh, the protesters gathered at Shahbaz Chowk where MPA Saeed Ahmad Saeedi spoke.
SAHIWAL: The PTI supporters protested against attempt on their leader’s life by blocking highways. The protesters hurled threats on the federal government and chanted slogans against Rana Sanaullah and torched tyres.
In Chichawatni, groups of protesters closed the most important intersection of the town and disrupted the traffic between Multan and Lahore.
GUJRANWALA: PTI district president Mian Muhammad Arqam Khan, former MNA Chaudhry Bilal Ejaz, former district president Rana Naeemur Rahman Khan and district information secretary Muhammad Fayyaz Khokhar condemned the dastardly attack on Imran Khan. They demanded arrest of the facilitators.
Published in Dawn, November fifth, 2022
