People commuting between Rawalpindi and Islamabad faced a lot of inconvenience after all kinds of transport, including the metro bus service, were closed and the roads leading to the federal capital were completely sealed on Saturday while the PTI, on the other hand, pulled up its socks to march on the capital city on Sunday (tomorrow-November 24), reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Containers were placed at 33 different points, including on Rawat T-Chowk, IJP Road, carriage factory, Mandra and Taxila on Saturday to keep the PTI marchers at bay.
And if that was not enough, the district administration of Rawalpindi also closed the Pir Wadhai and Faizabad bus stations for two days.
Earlier, the Punjab government had imposed section 144 in the province for a three-day period so that people could be prevented from joining in the PTI’s march.
Similarly, different sections of the motorway M-1, M-2, M-3 and M-4, and roads connecting the federal capital to different parts of the Punjab were also closed on the orders of the provincial government.
PTI Punjab VP, over 1,000 arrested
On the other hand, police in Lahore arrested PTI Punjab Vice President (VP) Akmal Khan Bari and another PTI leader Chaudhry Habibur Rehman and shifted them to Rang Mahal police station.
Besides that, the Force also rounded up over 1,000 active party workers from different parts of the provincial capital.
Police officials said workers had been taken into custody because they were involved in different cases of vandalism and arson.
They informed that raids were being conducted for the arrests of other PTI workers.
They expressed the resolve to ensure implementation of the section 144.
In Lahore, containers have been placed to block busy Ferozepur Road, where Ichhra Bazaar traders have protested that such restrictions dent their business.
The authorities have also placed containers at Imamia Colony in Shahdara to block GT Road and also on roads near Rana Town.
KP CM chairs meeting
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur chaired a PTI meeting at CM House in Peshawar and decided to go ahead with the protest no matter what.
The meeting was also attended by former president Arif Alvi and Barrister Gohar Ali Khan.
Gandapur said that the government was embarrassing itself as the protest will not stop by blocking the roads.
AJK seals Mangla bridge
Authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir have sealed the Mangla bridge contacting AJK with Punjab by placing containers on it.
The commuters were facing problems after the bridge were blocked from both sides.
A number of vehicles including an ambulance with a dead body in it headed to an alternative route but wee stuck in the river.
Containers placed on Jhelum bridge
Jhelum administration on Saturday adopted a strategy to tackle planned protest of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf on November 24, 2024. Traffic was completely suspended on all entry and exit points of the City.
Containers were placed on River Jhelum Bridge to restrict PTI workers to enter in Jhelum City.
Due to blockade of roads, long ques of vehicles were witnessed which also created panic and hurdles among passengers.
Heavy contingent of police deployed at River Jhelum Bridge to impound containers.
Some drivers complained that police snatched his vehicles papers and keys.
PTI’s Barrister Saif says party’s protest is already successful
Commenting on the steps taken by the government to thwart the PTI’s plan to enter the federal capital, Adviser to KP Chief Minister on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said that the very fact that the government had to seal the city showed that the PTI had already succeeded in registering its protest.
He asked the government to return to the PTI its stolen mandate rather than creating hardships for the people. “The capital city has been cut off from the rest of the country so that the government could not be toppled. Meanwhile, the arrests of our party leaders and workers continue unabated,” he added.
PTI announces to go ahead with its Nov 24th protest
Amidst the sealing of roads and a crackdown on the PTI leaders and workers, the party’s Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram announced that the party did not have any plan to either postpone or cancel its protest. “We will definitely march towards Islamabad and hold a sit-in at D-Chowk,” he said categorically.
The information secretary said that the PTI workers would cross every hurdle to reach the D-Chowk. “The country’s constitution gives us the right to protest. And we will not surrender,” he added.
Islamabad’s hospitals on high alert
Islamabad's central government hospitals on high alert are facing shortage of life-saving medicines and blood test kits.
According to hospital sources, life-saving medicines and blood test kits are missing in central hospital FG polyclinic.
Sources said that local procurement of life-saving medicines and blood test kits will be done as per requirement.
Blood transfusion to injure is not possible without blood test kits, hospital sources said.
Tenders for medicines and blood test kits and other important equipment have been pending for a long time, sources said.
For a long time, polyclinic matters have been being run under local procurement, sources added.
Government hospitals in Islamabad were put on high alert yesterday. Hospitals were instructed to ensure the supply of life-saving medicines.
Control room set up
The control room of the Punjab Home Department has been activated keeping in view the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest call.
The law and order situation in the province is being monitored from the control room.
Senior officers of the Home Department have been assigned duties in the control room.
Home Department officials are in touch with the police and other law enforcement agencies.
The police will be immediately mobilized in case of any emergency.
Section 144 implemented in the province is also being monitored.
Action will also be taken if five or more people gather at any place.
Reporters: Irshad Qureshi, Babar Turk, Usman Khadim Kamboh, Irshad Malik, Hashir Warraich, Abubakar Sheikh, Romail Ilyas, Qaisar Khokhar, Amir Shahzad, Raja Waqar and Zahid Bashir Chaudhry