LAHORE, May 27: The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf workers staged province-wide demonstrations to condemn the Sindh and Punjab governments for restricting the movement of Chairman Imran Khan.

Besides Lahore, demonstrations were staged in Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Multan, Pakpattan, Multan, Chakwal, Sahiwal, Sheikhupura, Gujrat, Jalalpur Jattan, Hafizabad, Sargodha, Rawalpindi and a number of other cities and towns, claimed a Tehrik handout on Sunday.

In Lahore, Tehrik workers staged a demonstration outside the Press Club where an effigy of MQM leader Altaf Hussain was also set on fire. The demonstrators were holding banners and placards and were chanting slogans against the government and the MQM leader. The MMA workers also took part in the demonstration.

On the occasion, Tehrik leaders Umer Sarfaraz Cheema, Mian Sajid Pervaiz, Shabbir Sial and Amin Zaki said the order of Punjab government restraining PTI chief from leave for Karachi and imposing restrictions on his movement were against fundamental human rights and would be challenged in the court.

They said President Gen Musharraf was patronising the MQM to prolong his rule. They alleged the MQM was a fascist party being run from London to eliminate any opposition to Gen Musharraf’s rule.

Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader MNA Khwaja Saad Rafique said the nation was looking towards the PTI chief Imran Khan as he had taken up the task of exposing the `fascist’ leader of the MQM. He said his party had condemned the orders banning the entry of Imran Khan into Sindh for one month. — Reporter