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GUJRANWALA, Aug 31: Taking to the GT Road on Friday, scores of owners of tractor-trolleys again demonstrated and threw the traffic out of gear at Rawalpindi bypass intersection to protest against the ban on plying their vehicles on the road.
The traffic remained suspended for two to three hours and the commuters — elderly men and women, and children among them — faced a great deal of inconvenience.
On an almost five-kilometre stretch (on the GT Road) long queues of vehicles created a mess and many ambulances got stuck.
Led by tractor-trolley owners association district president Iftikhar Samma, brother of former MPA Ijaz Samma, the protesters alleged that the motorway police were creating hurdles in supply of bricks, grain and other material to market and under-construction project sites, thus, depriving the poor people of means to livelihood.
National Highway & Motorway Police (Kharian to Lahore) in-charge, SSP Osama Mumtaz Raja, and Wazirabad to Lohianwala bypass beat in-charge, chief patrolling officer Chaudhry Aleem, placated the protesters by giving them 15 days to complete documents.
The SSP told Dawn that some political figures were backing the protesters for gaining support for the general elections and blackmailing the motorway police.
GANGS SMASHED: The district police claimed on Friday to have arrested 93 criminals of 15 gangs of robbers and recovered arms and booty in quantity during August.
DIG (Operations) Khadim Husain Bhatti, the city police officer, told newsmen that Hamid alias Hamidi gang had stolen around 150 vehicles from Lahore, Sheikhupura and Gujranwala which they sold in tribal areas after changing registrations and number plates.
While the other gangs were involved in 173 incidents of dacoities and robberies, he said.
PTI: Tehrik-i-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan on Friday lashed out at the government and called the Musharraf-Benazir deal “a political suicide”.
He spoke to a gathering at Sheranwala Bagh where he was garlanded and given a warm reception.
