Govt sees disruption but no shut down

Shahbaz blasts PTI for disrupting emergency services, say most markets remained opened

LAHORE: The Punjab government criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for damaging public property and causing inconvenience for general public with its strike and pickets in the city on Monday and invited PTI chairman Imran Khan to take up his demand for formation of a judicial commission to probe rigging in 2013 polls at the parliament.

The government also announced a Rs0.5 million compensation for families of those who could not make it to hospitals due to PTI blockades and died.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said Lahore had rejected the call for strike.

He said businesses were open as usual at all major markets of the metropolis.

He said shops in some areas had been forcibly shut down by the PTI.

He said trade had also been affected in areas where the protesters had burnt tyres and blocked roads.

Talking to various assembly members, Sharif said PTI’s image had been tarnished by the rowdyism of its workers.



He said Khan had not apologised for the disruption in emergency services caused by the protest.

“A number of ambulances could not reach hospitals due to the protest and thousands of daily wage workers were deprived of livelihood,” he said.

Sharif thanked Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers for showing restraint in the face of provocation.

‘Imran must come to the parliament’

Railways Minister Saad Rafique said on Monday that Imran Khan should take up the issue of formation of a judicial commission in the parliament if he was serious about it.

“The commission isn’t a joke. It can’t be formed in 48 hours,” he said.

Addressing a joint press conference with Punjab government spokesman Zaeem Qadri and Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique after Imran Khan’s address at Charing Cross had concluded, the minister said the Supreme Court had ruled that all matters related to elections should be decided by election tribunals.

He said the government would now “respond” to the PTI allegations and expose its lies.

“If the constitution is to be amended to form the judicial commission, then other political parties must be taken on board,” he said.

He said the government had requested the court to set up the commission.

The minister condemned the harassment of journalists by some PTI workers.

He said Khan was not serious about negotiating with the government which was why he had sent two people from his party for talks and was himself hurling abuse from the container.

Adviser on Health Salman Rafique said four people had died on account of the protests.

He said PTI workers had closed entrances to the city. He said as a result, Sidra Riaz, a 17-day-old baby of who was referred by Shahdara Hospital to Children’s Hospital and a newborn child of Kashif Aslam from Gujranwala died before reaching the hospital.

He said 65-year-old Amanat Ali, a cardiac patient, could not reach Punjab Institute of Cardiology and died.

He said another 15-year-old youth died in the ambulance.

Punjab government spokesman Zaeem Qadri said that PTI workers had stopped 219 ambulances.

He said that PTI goons had beaten up citizens and traders at various places.

Zaeem Qadri said that some of the PTI workers had looted eatables from roadside tea stalls.

He said 20 major markets of Lahore had remained open. He said Lahore High Court should try Imran Khan for contempt for violating prohibition of rallies on The Mall.

He said some of the PTI workers had attacked the Metro Bus and smashed windows, forcing the service to shut down.

He said PTI workers had also looted shops at Lalik Chowk.

Qadri said on Sunday night, PTI goons had threatened vice chancellors of universities over phone and told them to keep their institutions closed.

He said despite the warnings, attendance at public colleges had been 90 per cent.

He said journalists had been harassed at 13 points in the city.

Qadri said the PTI had announced that it would protest at 18 places but had disrupted traffic at more than 40 points.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2014.