Normalcy returns to city after chaos

LAHORE:

Life began to return to normality in the provincial capital by midday on Thursday after the law-enforcement agencies gradually removed the containers from the main entry and exit points to and from the city.

However, it did not help the daily wage workers, office workers and students as they found in the morning that the city was still under a “siege” with containers placed at the Saggian Bridge, the Old Ravi Bridge, Shahdara, Bhati Chowk, Thokar Niaz Beg and Babu Sabu, which are the prime entry and exit points to and from the city.

People had to squeeze through the narrow passages between the containers to get to the other end to get a ride for their destinations.

The process of removing of the containers was initiated at around 12 o’clock midday. Long queues of vehicles, especially those carrying cargo, had accumulated near the blockades.

As the road was cleared, it took at least two hours to reduce the backlog of traffic since it moved at a snail’s pace.

Meanwhile, Bajash Niazi, who had been accused by police of collecting weapons to use for subversive activities during the PTI march, accused the police of wrongly associating his business with a political party “for being a Niazi by caste” and also leveled allegations of burglary and theft.

He accused the police of barging into his house, misbehaving with the women and stealing guns and watches worth millions of rupees.

He added that police presented only 23 riffles, but he had 39 licences. He also presented the licesnes of the guns.

On the other hand, Punjab Police alleged that the “violent” protesters tortured policemen in different districts of the province during the long march, leaving three Punjab Police personnel dead while 100 injured. 

In Lahore, Constable Kamal Ahmed was martyred by firing while in Attock two officers were martyred while on duty when their bus overturned. 

A Punjab Police spokesperson said that 34 personnel were injured in Lahore and 48 in Attock and several others in Sargodha, Mianwali, Rawalpindi, Jhelum and other cities.

The spokesperson said that “violent protesters” smashed 11 police vehicles, damaged valuables and government property to the tune of millions of rupees and snatched weapons, including two SMGs.

However, the police personnel continued to perform their duties diligently, said the spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Punjab Police have started registering FIRs against PTI leaders and activists throughout the province.

Few cases have already been registered in Mianwali and Lahore till the filing of this report.

Ali Amin Gandapur has been nominated in an FIR in Mianwali.

A source said that FIRs would be registered based on special reports throughout Punjab against all those who played a role in mobilizing people for the PTI march.

Later, a crackdown would be launched based on these FIRs, said the source.

Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz had apologised to the people for their difficulties due to the closure of roads on Wednesday.

In a statement the other day, he had said that Imran Khan and “his gangs” were hollowing out the foundations of the country.

The chief minister said that the “recovery of arms from the house of a PTI leader” had made clear the real intentions of Imran Khan and his followers.

A constable was shot dead. Five children were orphaned, and the state’s writ was challenged. He alleged that Imran Khan wanted anarchy and chaos in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2022.