LAHORE: Workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) took to the streets in several cities of Punjab on Friday to express their indignation over an attempt on their leader Imran Khan’s life.

The PTI workers and supporters vandalised public property outside the Governor House’s on Mall Road, resulting in a traffic jam. Earlier, some PTI activists tried to enter the Governor House by scaling the gate, and flew the party flags. Many others tried to go pass the barriers placed by the law enforcement personnel.

Members of the Insaf Lawyers’ Forum also gathered there earlier. The protests affected traffic at Thokar Niaz Beg and Shahdara Chowk besides Mall Road’s GPO intersection.

The PTI lawyers also tried to enter Cantonment to protest outside the corps commander’s house but the military police (MP) stopped them at a picket outside the Fortress Stadium. The number of MP personnel on entry and exit points of the area was increased to prevent any untoward incident.

PTI supporters go berserk outside Governor House

The protesters also blocked Ring Road, Harbanspura interchange, Ferozepur Road and Walton Road, denying passage to motorists. The party workers and supporters thronged Ferozepur Road near Kalma Chowk and set tyres on fire. They also occupied the road of the metrobus service. Others protested at Sherakot and Babu Sabu interchange.

The PTI workers led protests in 25 cities including Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Bhakkar, Rawalpindi, Bahawalnagar, DG Khan, Rajanpur, Sialkot, Layyah, Gujrat, Vehari, Muzaffargarh, Alipur, Mianwali, Sahiwal and Okara.

In Gujrat, several areas including Shaheen Bypass Road were closed for traffic. In Bahawalnagar, protests took place at Rafiq Shah, while in Rajanpur, supporters staged demonstrations at Chowk Allahabad, Rojhan, Fazilpur and Jampur.

In Layyah, the protesters blocked the road at Gadai Mor in Kot Sultan.

MIANWALI: Protests continued for the second day running in the hometown of the PTI chief.

Traders observed a shutter-down strike in the district to express solidarity with Imran Khan.

Prayers for recovery and longevity of the PTI leader were offered in mosques. After Friday prayers, PTI workers gathered at main Ikram Shaheed Chowk and blocked the traffic on the roads leading towards Bannu, Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore.

The charged crowd chanted slogans against the government and held it responsible for hatching an assassination plan.

TOBA TEK SINGH: Protest demonstrations were held in Faisalabad where thousands of PTI supporters blocked traffic at District Council Chowk.

PTI divisional coordinator Faizullah Kamoka (a former MNA) and others demanded arrest of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan for allegedly planning the attack to kill Imran Khan.

In Toba Tek Singh, the protesters gathered at Shahbaz Chowk where MPA Saeed Ahmad Saeedi spoke.

SAHIWAL: The PTI supporters protested against attempt on their leader’s life by blocking highways. The protesters hurled threats at the federal government and chanted slogans against Rana Sanaullah and torched tyres.

In Chichawatni, groups of protesters closed the main intersection of the city and disrupted the traffic between Multan and Lahore.

GUJRANWALA: PTI district president Mian Muhammad Arqam Khan, former MNA Chaudhry Bilal Ejaz, former district president Rana Naeemur Rahman Khan and district information secretary Muhammad Fayyaz Khokhar condemned the dastardly attack on Imran Khan. They demanded arrest of the facilitators.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2022