RAWALPINDI: A worst traffic jam was witnessed on main arteries of the garrison city on Saturday due to a rally held by Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to mark the death anniversary of Mumtaz Qadri.

The participants gathered on Murree Road at Liaquat Bagh and blocked the main road and then moved to Bhara Kahu in Islamabad, creating a gridlock. Though traffic police made a diversion plan, people suffered a lot. Traffic on Saddar-Murree Road was diverted towards Kutchery Chowk from Marrir Chowk. Raja Bazaar-Murree Road traffic was diverted from DAV College Chowk and Akbar International Hotel and vehicles coming from Committee Chowk (underpass and main junction) were diverted towards Dhoke Khabba.

The rally led by TLP chief Maulana Saad Hussain Rizvi was attended by central patron Pir Qazi Mahmood Ahmad Qadri, Allama Pir Syed Zaheerul Hassan Shah, Allama Pir Syed Inayatul Haq Shah Sultanpuri, Mufti Ghulam Abbas Faizi and others. The TLP chief said France had insulted 56 Islamic countries by passing an anti-Islamic bill.

“It has challenged the honour of more than one and a half billion Muslims. Now all Muslim rulers are united in their honour and faith,” he said.

Other leaders of the party delivered speeches at Faizabad and said TLP would continue its struggle for the imposition of Islamic laws in the country and would complete the mission of TLP founder Khadim Hussain Rizvi.

They said the PTI government had failed to deliver and was wrongly using the name of the state of Madina. They said every Muslim was ready to sacrifice their lives for the dignity of the holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Without the implementation of the Islamic system, corruption will not be eradicated from the country. They said people were fed up with the slogans of the government.

They said inflation had reached the highest level in the history of the country making life miserable for the poor while the rich were living in palatial houses.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2021