PTI ends protest, Gandapur, PTI workers go back, containers removed from roads

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) has decided to end its protest resultantly containers placed around Liaquat Bagh and Murree road have been removed, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

PTI chief Barrister Gohar announced the end of the protest and advised PTI leaders and workers to leave for their homes. Khyber Paktunkhawa Chief MInsiter Ali Amin Gandapur also returned to KP as his convoy could not cross the hurdles and he went back from Burhan Interchange.

Earlier, PTI workers got angry with Gandapur when he ordered them to go back home. Thw workers encilred the vehicle of Gandapur and urged him to go with them to Liaquat Bagh. KP Chief Minister told the workers that now night has started and it was not good for them to go there for security purposes.

After the end of protest call, all containers have been lifted and flow of traffic have begun on all road in Pindi. Police and Rangers teams have also left their duties and moving back to their stations.

 Earlier, PTI workers and police contingents have clashed around Committee Chowk and Liaquat Bagh, 22 more party workers have been apprehended by police while overall above 60 PTI workers have been arrested by police, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

According to report, PTI workers have clashed and thrown stones on police while going from Committee Chowk towards Liaquat Bagh. PTI chief Barrister Gohar told media that police were creating hurdles for workers and was not allowing them to reach Liaquat Bagh. Gohar said police have stopped him and Salman Akram Raja and barred us from entering Rawalpindi. Gohar and Salman Akram Raja were stopped from entering Pindi near H13 sector Islamabad.

Almost the entire Rawalpindi has been sealed as containers, dumpers, loaded trucks and barbed wires have been placed at 25 points on the routes leading to the city as Rawalpindi and Islamabad Police jointly chalk out a strategy to frustrate PTI’s plan to hold a protest demonstration at Liaquat Bagh in the garrison city today, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

Meanwhile, caravans of thousands of PTI leaders and workers have left different cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab for Rawalpindi.

KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur, accompanied by a large number of party workers, has left Peshawar for Swabi where after making a brief stopover they all will go to the garrison city.

A group of party workers, led by Ihtesham Ali Khan Advocate, Advisor to the KP CM on Health, have left Takht Bhai to participate in the demonstration.

A large number of PTI workers from Mansehra, including female workers, led by the party’s Provincial Vice President Kamal Khan and MPA Riaz Khan, have started their march towards the garrison city.

Thousands of police deployed

Sources in the police have told 24News TV channel that similarly roads leading to Islamabad have also been sealed at nine points in order to prevent the PTI workers from sneaking into the federal capital.

Elaborating further, they said that Fateh Jang Toll Plaza, Kacha Stop, Gulzar-e-Quaid, Shamsabad, Faizabad, IJP Road, Double Road, Katarian Bridge, Pandora Chowrangi and Khana Pull are among some of the places in Rawalpindi that have been closed for traffic.

Likewise, they have said that the roads have been blocked at Koral, T-Chowk, Khana, Faizabad, IJP Junction, 26 No, Golra Morr, B-17, Margalla Road and the GT Road so that the protestors could be denied entry into the federal capital.

However, the Islamabad Expressway and the Faizabad Flyover are open for traffic but were later shut down for traffic.

Sources have also informed that over 4,000 police officials and personnel, armed with anti-riot equipment, will perform duties in the district.   

Additional police pickets will be set up at 31 district spots in the city, and each picket will be manned by a DSP, two SHOs along with a contingent.

Sources have said that anti-riot gear has also been provided to the Elite Force and the Patrolling Unit to assist the Punjab Police in keeping the party workers could be kept at bay.

On the other hand, Islamabad Police have been tasked with arresting the protestors.

Section 144 has already been enforced in the twin cities for two days while Liaquat Bagh, the venue for the demonstration, has been closed and police personnel have been deployed around it.

Sources have told 24News TV channel that the workers taking the law into their own hands will be arrested immediately.

The closure of different roads ahead of PTI’s protest demonstration has created a lot of inconvenience for motorists as they have got stuck in long queues of vehicles.

On the other hand, the metro bus service in Rawalpindi has also come to a complete halt, further compounding problems for the people.  

Similarly, cellphone signals in Rawalpindi have also been jammed.

The Islamabad Expressway, previously open for traffic, has also been closed.

Motorway, GT Road closed at several points

Likewise, in order to prevent the entry of PTI workers from KP, containers have been placed at different spots on the GT Road as well as section of the motorway connecting Rawalpindi to Peshawar (M-1).

The motorway has been closed Chach Interchange, Haro Pull and Katti Pahari, while the GT Road has been closed at Attock Bridge and Faqirabad.

At the same time, large contingents of the police have also been deployed to block the entry of protestors. 

And in order to ensure that no PTI worker could enter the twin cities from Murree and Azad Kashmir, Murree Road has been closed at Ghora Galli.

CM Gandapur on his way

On the other hand, all arrangements are complete and pumped up PTI workers are ready to leave for Rawalpindi from their respective areas.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur will leave Swabi for Rawalpindi at 12:00 PM.

And before leaving, he will address the workers at Swabi Interchange.

The spokesman for the CM has said that the PTI workers will not be deterred by the impediments created in their way and will reach Liaquat Bagh at all costs.  

He has said that the caravans of party workers, led by MNAs and MPAs of their areas, will leave for Rawalpindi from all districts of the province.

Reporters: Hashir Ahsan Warraich, Amir Shehzad, Muhammad Akram, Irshad Qureshi, Malik Rehman and Syed Noman Shah