— Protests choke Rawalpindi city, M-1, M-2 motorways
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protesters on Monday staged extraordinarily violent protests in and around Rawalpindi, cutting-off twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad from Motorway and choked all sorts of traffic to rest of the country.
However, traffic on GT Road was partially open but it was also choked near Jhelum and PD Khan.
In a late night development, Federal Police in an official communique, sought permission from federal secretary interior to clear M-1 and M-2 on Motorway to ensure restoration of traffic for VVIPs from and towards Islamabad International Airport.
It merits mention that PM Shehbaz Sharif with a delegation is set to return from Egypt today and the police needs to clear roads leading to Islamabad Airport for his safe return.
IGP Islamabad in his letter to Secretary Interior, wrote that Islamabad Airport is a key installation and it needs to be cleared in line with Article 97/149 to ensure smooth flow of traffic and safe movement of VVIPs. The IGP said that since Islamabad Airport falls in the territory of Punjab province, federal police needed permission to clear roads towards Islamabad Airport.
Throughout the day on Monday, the PTI proteters continued their protest demonstrations in different areas of Rawalpindi city in protest against the assassination attempt on their party Chairman Imran Khan.
Following instructions issued by the PTI leaders Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Wasiq Qayyum and MNA Ghulam Sarwar Khan, the demonstrators blocked the roads leading to Islamabad from Lahore and Peshawar on Motorways.
They blocked the motorway leading to Lahore and Peshawar by setting ablaze tyres and bushes. In order to deal with the situation, troops of Islamabad Capital Police and Pakistan Rangers have been dispatched.
Earlier, the workers under the leadership of Fiaz Ul Hassan Chohan reached Murree Road and tried to enter the federal capital through Faizabad but the police and other officials restricted them to IJP Road and Murree Road.
Over this, the protesters also completely blocked the traffic coming from Lahore to Rawalpindi by burning tyres. Due to protests, diversions were placed at Koral Stop for traffic going to the old Air Port Road from Islamabad Expressway. The traffic has alternatively been diverted to Islamabad Expressway.
The protesters simultaneously blocked the traffic going to Faizabad from Murree Road and from the IJP Road to Islamabad due to which the citizens faced severe problems. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf activists too blocked the road leading to Islamabad Airport by burning tires.
The long queues of traffic have been seen on Murree Road and its adjacent roads in Rawalpindi.
The eye eyewitness said that ambulances also get stuck in traffic and the patients have to face the agonizing situation. They claimed that the Rawalpindi administration is playing the role of a silent spectator over the deteriorating situation. The Bus stand of Rawalpindi, Pir Peer Wadhai has also been blocked from the sides. Likewise, Shamsabad and Airport Road are blocked for traffic
Almost all the traffic in Rawalpindi has been jammed due to the protest and the situation is creating immense problems for commuters.
The officials requested the federal government to issue instructions to the provincial governments under Articles 3 and 4 of the Constitution to keep the motorway and airport routes open.
They also vowed to register cases against the miscreant elements in the police stations. The public is also requested to report any suspicious activities and miscreants on call 15.
