Zubair Qureshi
Police in the the federal capital on Friday resorted to tear gas and baton charge briefly as angry workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had blocked the main artery connecting Islamabad and Rawalpindi at the Faizabad Interchange. They were holding protests against the attack on their party Chairman former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Earlier, the party leadership had called upon the party workers to start holding demonstrations countrywide after Friday prayers. By Friday evening the Islamabad police had cleared the main as well as the link roads by removing all diversions which had been placed for smooth traffic flow. The Islamabad police spokesperson in a statement clarified that diversions were removed from Zero Point of Islamabad Highway and Rawal Dam Chowk of Murree Road and citizens could go to Faizabad from Murree Road Islamabad.
“Citizens can use Islamabad Highway without any trouble,” said the spokesperson. The protests at some points have turned violent and made the traffic histage and we are registering cases against the culprits with the help of camera footages. They were also setting vehicles on fire and are armed with stones, even weapons, the spokesperson said and warned the protesters of strict action. Islamabad Police resorted to intermittently firing tear gas shells to disperse protestors in the area who resorted to stone-pelting on the police and Frontier Corps.
Meanwhile, Islamabad Police and FC arrested several PTI workers in Islamabad. Murree Road has been closed to traffic in Rawalpindi.
Earlier, protesters blocked Rawalpindi’s GT Road from both sides which affected traffic in the area. After workers ended their protests in Rawat, GT Road was cleared for traffic. PTI’s women workers, on the other hand, left after protesting at the National Press Club.
