Worker’s killing: PTI women wing holds protest demonstration

Workers condemn Haq Nawaz’s murder, chant slogans against govt.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Punjab’s women wing staged a protest outside the Lahore Press Club on Wednesday over the killing of their party worker in Faisalabad.

Haq Nawaz was killed in clashes between PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers on Monday.

PTI Punjab women wing president Saloni Bukhari headed the protest.

The protesters chanted slogans against the government. They carried placards, carrying slogans against the government and “Gullu-ism”.

Bukhari said that PTI workers had been unarmed and peaceful. “If they (the government) think they can silence us through state-sponsored terrorism, they are wrong,” she said.

Bukhari said that the PTI workers and supporters would continue their peaceful protests across the country. She said it was time the government reconsidered its actions and strategies.

PTI Lahore women wing vice president Tanzila Imran Khan said the government was using violence to stop the PTI’s peaceful protest campaign.

Protests were held across the province in connection with the incident. A committee has been formed by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to investigate the murder.

Meanwhile, the PTI Lahore district is holding meetings to finalise their strategy for December 15 shutdown. A decision on whether to extend invitation to other parties or not is also expected soon. A Punjab-level meeting of the PTI is to be held on Thursday (today) under Ejaz Chaudhry. The meeting will formulate and finalise strategies for the countrywide shutdown scheduled for December 18.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2014.