December 29, 2007	Saturday	Zilhaj 18, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 28: A day after the brutal murder of Benazir Bhutto, Lahore remained under a pall of gloom on Friday with anguished People’s Party workers protesting in various areas, in many cases violently.

The major protest was witnessed outside Data Ganj Bakhsh shrine where thousands of PPP activists held a massive demonstration after offering funeral prayers of party chairperson.

The enraged activists raised anti-government slogans, burnt tyres and posters and banners of PML-Q candidates and pelted police with stones.

They also reportedly damaged some traffic signals and private vehicles in the area falling between the shrine and Azadi Chowk.

The heavy police contingent deployed on the spot to maintain law and order did not act against the protesters, leaving them free to vent their anger.

The PPP activists continued street protests in other parts of the city as well, including Walled City, Mughalpura, Shalimar, Harbanspura, Baghbanpura, Garhi Shahu and Old Anarkali. They held demonstrations, burnt tyres and other material and partially damaged some private vehicles.

However, the incidence of violence was low on Friday as compared to that on Thursday evening.

The Mall, from Regal Chowk to Data Ganj Baksh shrine, and road leading to Azadi Chowk remained tense the whole day as protesters in groups kept appearing erratically.

Vehicles were also pelted with stones in Daroghawala, Sabzazar, Chowk Nakhuda, Sanda Road and Multan Road near Chowk Yateem Khana.

Around 300 people staged a demonstration in A-Block of Sabzazar after offering Ms Bhutto’s funeral prayers. They chanted slogans and later dispersed peacefully.

Around 400 protesters burnt tyres and banners of PML-Q on the Model Town Link Road, a police official told Dawn.

Another protest was witnessed at Joray Bridge in North Cantonment area where around 250 people shouted slogans and burnt tyres.

Violence and protests were also reported at Shadewal Chowk (Sattokatla), near Rangers headquarters (North Cantonment), in Shaukat Town, Ghazi Road Defence, Allama Iqbal Road (Qilla Gujjar Singh), Shah Di Khoi (Canal Road), Shaukat Khanum Road (Johar Town), near Model Town Park and Iqbal Towns’ Main Boulevard.

PPP workers, riding trucks and brandishing clubs and rods, were seen removing PML-Q posters hanging from lamp-posts on the main roads.

POLICE PATROL: Capital City Police Officer Malik Muhammad Iqbal told Dawn that around 6,000 police officials had been deployed for law and order duty on Friday, claiming over all situation remained under control.

“I visited all sensitive places, where police pickets were deployed, after 10am and issued necessary directions to the force,” he said.

He said the police force was strictly directed to be `defensive’ in order to reduce the intensity of protests.

Asked if the police were taking any action against those who damaged public transport, police vehicles and offices of PML-Q candidates and elected local government representatives, the CCPO said although legal action was under consideration, a final strategy would be devised against such elements as soon as normalcy returned to the city. “Till then the maximum show and minimum use of force will be the strategy,” he added.

FUNERAL PRAYERS: Funeral prayers of two of the victims of Rawalpindi blast were offered separately in Garhi Shaho and Faisal Town.

Around 500 people offered the funeral prayers of Shafeeq alias Goga, a resident of Maryan Chowk, Faisal Town. They also chanted slogans.

The funeral prayers of Zaheer Khan of Engine Shed was attended by a large number of people.

LGH staff: The Lahore General Hospital (LGH) administration has decided to impose a ban on the leave of doctors and nurses till further orders, and postponed the interviews for vacant posts of trainee house officers.

In a statement issued here on Friday, LGH Medical Superintendent Dr Omar Farooq Baloch said the decision had been taken in view of the present situation. He said the aspirants for 60 posts of trainee house officers would now be interviewed on Dec 31.