Outraged: Traders and political activists protest too

LAHORE:

Small demonstrations were staged at Ferozepur Road, Shahdara Chowk and in front of the Lahore Press Club on Monday in protest against the Nato strike on Pakistani soil that killed 24 soldiers.

Some 50 traders of Pathar (Stone) Market, Ferozepur Road, marched towards Shah Jamal, drawing supporters along the way, and shouted slogans condemning Western forces and backing the Pakistan Army. Traffic was suspended on one side of the road for half an hour.

“The government should take an aggressive position against America. Nato is just another tool it uses to exercise its supremacy in developing countries,” protestor Anwar Ali said.

Some 200 Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz workers blocked GT Road with burning tyres for around two hours. They held placards and banners and shouted slogans condemning Nato and President Asif Zardari. The protest ended at around 4pm.

Meanwhile, Liberty Market traders, MQM workers and more PML-N activists staged separate, small demonstrations.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2011.