Widespread protests erupted across Peshawar and other districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) against the arrest of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan on Tuesday afternoon.
Hundreds of PTI supporters took to the GT Road and blocked it near Hashtnagari a result long lines of traffic could be seen on both sides of the roads.
They also marched towards the Khyber Road and then forced entered the Radio Pakistan Peshawar building where they set a model of Chaghi mountain ablaze.
Police used tear gas shells and fired in the air in order to disperse the angry mob which, though small in size, turned violent and even attacked the DSNGs of tv channels.
PTI workers even marched on the provincial assembly building and tried to enter it but police took timely action and started tear gas shelling the protesters after which they fled.
Groups of PTI protesters closed University Road and other small roads inside the walled city as a result a large portion of Peshawar was brought to a standstill.
They chanted slogans against the federal government and security forces and demanded immediate release of Imran Khan.
A DSNG vehicle of Express News was also attacked and damaged.
PTI Spokesperson Shaukat Yousafzai, who led the protest on GT Road claimed that police was trying to disrupt the peaceful protest of the party workers and this had enraged the party supporters.
He said that he was attacked and dragged.
“Imran Khan is the most popular leader of the country and his arrest on any pretest is not acceptable,” he observed, adding that the protest would continue across the country till his release.
Mardan
Three PTI workers sustained injuries in clashes with police in Mardan city.
Angry workers vandalized three statues of soldiers in the Mardan cantonment area and chanted slogans against the government.
Police fired tear gas shells to disperse them as protesters stoned the police vehicles.
Police said that three PTI workers were injured during the stampede.
Dir Upper
Similarly, in Upper Dir, Shiringal Bazzar remained closed for all kinds of traffic for three hours.
“PTI supporters have blocked roads in three different areas in the district. But most of them dispersed when police used tear gas shells,” said an official of the district administration while talking to The Express Tribune.
Dir Lower
At least 10 policemen including a DSP was injured in clashes with angry mob in Timergara.
“An angry mob tried to entered the cantonment area in Timergara and they even broke into it by smashing a small gate but police tried to control the mob,” said a police official, adding that so far 10 policemen had been injured including a DSP.
“The mob is not only armed but they are constantly throwing stones at police and it is very difficult to control them despite the fact that they are a few hundred in number,” he said, adding that a sit-in was also going on outside the main military area as traffic had been brought to a standstill.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2023.
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