Cautious strategy: PML-N workers told to avoid confrontation

Shahbaz counsels party activists not to come on roads.

LAHORE:

As Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is all set to execute its Lahore lockdown plan on Monday, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in Punjab has asked its lawmakers to ensure their workers do not to come on the streets and that they avoid confrontation with PTI enthusiasts.

These were the key points decided during a meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at Raiwind on Sunday. The former briefed the latter on the arrangements made to maintain order during the PTI’s Lahore shutdown call.



Shahbaz assured PM that PML-N workers would not come on roads to confront with the PTI  followers and that they would be allowed to go ahead with their Lahore plan without let or hindrance.

“Chief minister also briefed his party leaders and the prime minister about Faisalabad incident’s details. All the parliamentarians in Lahore have been directed to ensure the party workers of PML-N do not come on roads to confront with the PTI,” a senior PML-N leader told The Express Tribune while requesting not to be named.

He stated: “The prime minister asked about the administrative arrangements which have been made to handle the situation and the chief minister also briefed him on how police and law enforcing agencies would perform their duties.”

In a statement issued by the Directorate General of Public Relations, the chief minister said the government would ensure the protection of life of its citizens.

“The maintenance of law and order is the responsibility of the government and it will safeguard life and property of the citizens at every cost. People fully know that some elements are promoting lawlessness and violence in the country for the achievement of their vested interests,” the chief minister maintained.

He made an appeal to the masses and PML-N workers not to react to provocative speeches and activities but show patience and restraint.

“Punjab government has devised a plan to deal with the PTI shutdown administratively. All the government employees have been asked to ensure their presence on Monday. Employees of nine towns of Lahore will perform their duties at different points where the PTI plans to hold protests,” a senior official in Punjab government said.

Furthermore, Higher Education Department and School Education Department also issued a notification asking all the teachers to be present in schools on Monday. Text messages were also sent to heads of departments in different colleges and schools to circulate the information to the teachers.

Apart from the colleges and schools, public sector universities will also remain open on Monday on the instructions of the authorities.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2014.