ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) observed black day in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad against the killing of its worker in Faisalabad on Monday.

The workers of the party blocked roads after offering funerals in absentia for the deceased in different parts of the cities.

Traffic remained suspended on the Islamabad Expressway after over 100 PTI activists blocked the busy artery from Faizabad to Koral Chowk for about an hour. Protesters also blocked one side of G.T. Road at Tarnol railway crossing.

Sajjad Ali, a motorist, told Dawn that he was passing through Tarnol at around 1pm when the protesters blocked the road.

“I had to wait on the road for half an hour. It was annoying for the commuters who could not reach their destinations on time,” he said.

Khalid Mehmood, a citizen, who had to come to Islamabad from Koral Chowk, said because of the blockade of the expressway he had to take a long detour via Chak Shahzad. But a large number of motorists remained stuck on the expressway as there was no option for them to return or take a detour.

Manzoor Ahmed, who remained stranded on the expressway, said the government should accept the demands of the PTI to avoid disturbances in the country.

In Rawalpindi, over 200 PTI workers offered funeral prayers in absentia at Sadiqabad Chowk. Later, they took out a rally to the I.J. Principal Road and blocked it in front of Khayaban-i-Sir Syed for an hour.

Suspended PTI district president Arif Abbasi, Rashid Hafeez and acting president Ijaz Khan Jazi jointly led the protest rally. The PTI workers and supporters also blocked roads at Faizabad, Chirah Chowk and Bohar Bazaar.

Funeral prayer was also offered in front of Lal Haveli in which Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was also present.

Talking to the media on the occasion, he held the Punjab government responsible for the killing of the PTI worker.

“Democracy is in danger due to the current unrest in the country.” He said talks between the government and PTI would not be held in such a situation. He said had the Model Town killings been investigated properly and action taken against the Punjab government and former law minister Rana Sanaullah, such incidents would not have happened again,” he said.

Published in Dawn December 10th , 2014