Early in the morning, the Kashmir Road entrance to the Governor’s House was opened for people to participate in the funeral. Walk-through gates were installed at three places. At 12 noon, the Kashmir Road Gate was closed and the Simla Hill Gate opened for visitors.
Police contingents remained deployed at Nasser Bagh, Old Anarkali, Lahore High Court, Alhamra Hall, the Punjab Assembly building, the PTV building, Faisal chowk, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and the Punjab Civil Secretariat.
After funeral prayers, the mourners dispersed peacefully. All roads leading to the Governor’s House were blocked. Traffic, in any case, had remained thin since morning. The City Traffic Police had blocked roads from China Chowk to the Governor’s House, Flatti’s chowk to the Avari chowk, Aiwan-i-Iqbal to the Governor’s House, Lahore Development Authority chowk to the Governor’s House, and Club Chowk to the Governor’s House. However the roads from Simla Hill to Flatti’s Hotel and Faisal Chowk were open.
Media vehicles could be parked in service lanes in front of the Governor’s House while official vehicles could be parked in the parking lot of the Lahore Zoo and in front of Aitchison College.
A group of PPP activists led by MPA Sajida Mir held a demonstration in front of the Lahore Press Club by blocking the road. The protestors chanted slogans against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders in general and against Law Minister Rana Sanaullah in particular.
At the Governor’s House, PPP activists chanted slogans against the PML-N, calling it ‘Qatil League’. Some PPP leaders, however, requested them to stop.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 6th, 2011.
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