ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) activists welcomed their chief Tahirul Qadri with fireworks on his return to the Constitution Avenue after five days on Friday evening.

The fireworks continued for over 15 minutes in front of the Parliament House.

The PAT chief had left the sit-in site to address a public gathering in Faisalabad.

About 300 PAT supporters are still camped on the Constitution Avenue from Parliament House to the Cabinet Division.

Police officials said the use of fireworks amid about 100 tents and fabrics, including bed-sheets, was dangerous.

Police fail to check transportation of firecrackers into Red Zone

Earlier, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) also carried out fireworks near D-Chowk but its leaders were asked by the police and the capital administration to avoid such a practice as it may result into any misshape.

The police were also directed to check the transportation of firecrackers in the Red Zone but to no avail.

In early September, the transportation of firecrackers to the Constitution Avenue by the marchers was intercepted.

On Thursday, the police took control of the Constitution Avenue from the PAT activists and established its checkpoints there.

But despite the presence of the police, the firecrackers were transported to the Constitution Avenue which was a security laps, a senior police officer said.

He said police personnel deployed at the entry points of the Red Zone had been directed to enhance checking to stop the transportation of firecrackers in future.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2014