December 8 riot: PTI threatens sit-in if workers are not released by Feb 6

Dozens of PTI workers were injured on December 8

FAISALABAD: Scores of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration against the joint investigation team (JIT) for exonerating MPAs Rana Sanaullah, Abid Sher Ali and Tahir Jameel, and DCO Noorul Amin Mengal among others from December 8 Novelty Bridge violence in which a PTI activist was shot dead.

PTI district president Rana Raheel led the protest. The protesters gathered at Zila Council Chowk and staged a sit-in at the city district government secretariat and shouted slogans against the JIT and the Punjab government.

Raheel said the JIT was partial to Sanaullah. “Those believed to be responsible for killing Nawaz on December 8 have walked free,” he said.

Raheel said Sanaullah had urged PML-N workers to “teach PTI a lesson” at a meeting on December 7 at the Circuit House.

He said dozens of PTI workers had been injured on December 8 because PML-N workers had disrupted their protest. He said no PML-N worker had been wounded.

He said police had arrested PTI workers on charges of disrupting law and order but PML-N worker was charged with the offence. Raheel said many PTI workers were still in police custody. He said the PTI would stage a sit-in at Novelty Bridge if police did not release PML-N workers by February 6.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.