PTI ends sit-ins on Pindi’s main highways

Punjab sports minister, others booked in clash among party workers

RAWALPINDI:

A day after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan announced the end of the protest sit-ins, the party workers ended the sit-ins on four main thoroughfares of Rawalpindi. The PTI workers removed the obstacles and restored the traffic on Murree Road, Airport, Swan Bridge and IJP Road.

The citizens and commuters breathed a sigh of relief as they had faced difficulties since the protesters had set up protest camps on five main highways including Murree Road in Rawalpindi. The main and most used highway was completely blocked from Shamsabad, due to which citizens were facing severe problems.

Those travelling to Islamabad from Murree Road were facing inconvenience while people going to offices and other destinations had been facing traffic jams in large numbers. Public and goods transport remained closed for four days due to the PTI sit-ins. Business in the area had come to a virtual standstill on Murree Road and other highways. Citizens including traders, students, government employees and patients had suffered a great deal from road blockages.

On the other hand, the Motorway Police has provided alternative routes for vehicles to the Islamabad International Airport. Syedpur Road, Commercial Market Kuri Road and Old Airport Road remain open for traffic.

According to the traffic police, Main Peshawar Road and Mall Road were also open for traffic, while IJP Road had been closed to all types of traffic towards Islamabad. Alternatively, Main Peshawar Road, Westridge, Chauhar Chowk, Marble Factory Road, Golra Mor, and Srinagar Highway were open for traffic.

Educational institutions in Rawalpindi remained closed for the third day despite district administrations ordering all educational institutions in Islamabad to remain open as all the roads inside the federal capital were open. The district administration has also issued a notification regarding keeping educational institutions open.

Meanwhile, an emergency alert was issued once again in all the government hospitals of the garrison city. Given any emergency due to the possibility of the severity of protests in the coming days it has been directed to once again review the arrangements at three major hospitals of the city including the Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, the Holy Family Hospital and the District Headquarters Hospital.

Sources said it has been instructed to ensure the availability of blood of all groups in the blood banks and necessary medicines as per the requirements in addition to 24 hours availability of on-call doctors, surgeons and support staff in all three hospitals. Senior doctors have also been told that they will be required to reach the hospital in case of any emergency.

PTI workers spar with each other

Earlier, a clash took place among the PTI workers in the protest camp set up in the Ratta Shah area within the limits of the Taxila police station.

Three workers were injured in the brawl due to a firing and stick attack. A case was registered against the PTI provincial minister Malik Taimur and his 10 colleagues on the complaint of an injured party worker.

Mohsin Taj Khan, while reporting the incident to the police, alleged that a PTI protest camp was set up near Ratta Shah. In the middle of the night between Wednesday and Thursday at about 1.00 am, PTI Provincial Sports Minister Malik Taimur accompanied by nine to 10 armed suspects bragged into the camp at gunpoint and started firing on resistance, leaving Bahram Khan, Juma Khan and the complainant injured. The police registered a case against 10 suspects including the provincial minister under attempted murder and other provisions on the PTI worker’s complaint. Later, a heavy police contingent was deployed at the spot.

Meanwhile, party sources said that the supporters of the Punjab sports minister and MNA Mansoor Hayat had a quarrel a day before following which another quarrel broke out at 02.00 am on Wednesday and shots were fired. Two injured workers were shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Taxila while the third was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital Rawalpindi.

On the other hand, Punjab Sports Minister Malik Taimur and MNA Mansoor Hayat have accused each other. The three injured persons belonging to MNA Mansoor Hayat’s group say that the firing was carried out by an official guard who was accompanying Malik Taimur.

Both factions of the PTI staged a sit-in at Margalla Raza Shah Chowk, the entrance of the federal capital.

Sanaullah condemns protests

Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan said that the routine affairs of citizens had been badly affected by the PTI workers who are blocking the roads under police protection and official protocol.

In a statement, the minister said that businesses of the people and activities of students were affected while patients were unable to reach hospitals. "This situation is not only unbearable but also painful for millions of people," he added. A handful of PTI workers have been troubling the people for the past four days through the involvement of police and are placing chairs on the roads. The minister said the patience of the people has now been exhausted due to the recent disturbing situation.

"We do not want any kind of political conflict but cannot allow such a situation. There is a fear that the people will now start holding accountable the riotous and anarchist followers of Imran Khan," he added.

The minister also appealed to the local leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and members of the Parliament to play their role in helping the people out of these difficulties.

With additional input from APP

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2022.