RAWALPINDI, Nov 30: Dozens of relatives of Dhoke Syedan suicide attack victims on Friday staged a protest rally and tried to block Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s convoy near Qasim Market, Peshawar Road.

The protesters, who numbered around 70, led by Allama Ashfaq Wahidi, president Jaffaria Student Foundation gathered outside Qasr-i-Shabir Imambargah and later marched towards Qasim Market.

They were chanting slogans against the police who, they claimed, failed to give them protection on the fateful day.

The protesters tried to block the convoy of the chief minister who was returning to Punjab House after inaugurating two development projects on Peshawar Road at about 5pm. However before the protesters could block the convoy, the police jumped into action and pushed them back, making way for the convoy to pass. Later, the protesters dispersed peacefully after about half an hour.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s inspection team led by a district management officer visited the crime scene on Friday and gathered some facts from police officers, it has been learnt.

The special inspection team led by Najam Saeed was formed by the chief minister which also inspected the duty record of the Race Course police.

During visit to the police station, the team also inquired about the deployment of police personnel for the protection of Muharram procession and sought the details of arms and other security gadgets they were carrying on the unfortunate day.

The inspection team also went through the security plan for November 21 when the terrorist hit the Muharram procession in Dhoke Syedan killing more than 20 people.

The security plan was chalked out by the Security Branch of the CPO office.

The inspection team is likely to interview people who were injured in the suicide attack on Saturday and gather more information regarding the incident.

When contacted, SP Potohar Division, Haseeb Hussain Shah said that the engagements of the inspection team were not into his knowledge as he had been busy with the chief minister’s visit.

However, the counterterrorism department and other agencies had been continuing their separate investigations into the suicide attack.— Mohammad Asghar