LAHORE: Scores of people blocked the motorway on Thursday for traffic in protest at the killing of a young man in a police encounter in Hanjarwal a few days back.

Following the protest, hundreds of vehicles got stuck on the motorway, causing a great deal of inconvenience to motorists who spent many hours there. The blockage also increased pressure on both sides of the road near Thokhar Niaz Beg.

According to the police report, Faisal was killed in an encounter after he allegedly shot dead a constable.

The police claimed Faisal was a hardened criminal and wanted in many cases registered against him.

Protesters, however, alleged the police killed him in an “encounter” and demanded an impartial inquiry into the incident. They said police officers were using delaying tactics to take action against those police personnel who had killed Faisal in the encounter.

This deliberate delay prompted them to block the motorway for traffic, they said and demanded that the government authorities hold an impartial inquiry into the alleged killing of Faisal.

Senior traffic police officers rushed to the site, held negotiations with the protestors and cleared the road for traffic.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2022