City Reporter
Thousands of supporters of the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan on Friday continued their march towards the federal capital, disrupting routine life along the route of the rally and creating severe difficulties for the masses particularly in twin cities, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
As the proscribed organisation rally is heading towards Faizabad, the local administration has finalized all the arrangements to prevent the protesters from reaching Faizabad while the security forces had cordoned off the major roads to stop the protesters who have been staging sit-ins on GT Road for the past several days, disrupting routine life and transport services.
The march has also affected life in twin cities, Rawalpindi and Islamabad like various other cities.
The administration had closed Murree Road on Wednesday for all kind of vehicular traffic by placing containers and barbed wires.
Strict security arrangements have been made in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The main highways connecting Islamabad and Rawalpindi were sealed and the Faizabad Metro service was also suspended.
Major traffic jams have been reported on alternative routes and the citizens are facing difficulties as it has also become difficult to go even hosp-
itals.
The business centres in the city and on GT Road are closed and so are the shops and restaurants on the highway.
Public and private educational institutions on Murree Road and located on GT Road and its adjoining areas were also closed.
The authorities, in order to stop the rally, had blocked major thoroughfares such as the Murree Road and adjacent highways with containers.
Multiple roads were closed for the third day as educational institutions, offices, banks and shopping malls in the affected areas remained shut.
Due to the security situation in the region, Pakistan Railways has also cancelled several scheduled trains.
Railway operations between Lahore and Rawalpindi had been disrupted and all trains between the two cities had also been cancelled.
Security arrangements had been tightened at the railway stations with police commandos deployed at all entrance and exit points. Security was also deployed inside the trains.
