Lahore: Roads re-opened, containers removed after Qadri's Youm-e-Shuhada
All the roads that were sealed off in Lahore are reopened while Model Town remains blocked.
LAHORE (Dunya News) – All the roads that were sealed off in Lahore were reopened on Monday morning, Dunya News reported. The containers are also being removed while heavy contingents of police force are still present at some locations. In the Model Town locality of Lahore the mobile service was partially restored. The citizens heaved a sigh of relief as petrol and CNG outlets after three consecutive days of forced closure also started reopening and the traffic flow was restored in the provincial capital city.
The Lahore citizens have finally been relieved from the painstaking restrictions imposed in the city from road-closure. The blocked roads have partially been re-opened while containers are in the process of being removed. The traffic situation has also slightly improved. The containers from Thokar Niaz Baig and Ravi Bridge have been taken off and one-single lane for both paths is being maintained for entrance and exit. The blocked roads inside the have also been restored. The removal of containers from Barkat Market, Jinnah Hospital and Akbar Chowk has allowed the traffic to move freely and the commuters can now travel without difficulty. Earlier, all the roads connecting to Faisal Town and Garden Town through Akbar Chowk, Barkat Market and Jinnah hospital were sealed causing severe problems.
However, all the routes to the Minhaj ul Quran Secretariat still remain sealed off and the containers have also not been removed. The residents of Model Town are facing extreme difficulties in commuting while some are being forced to walk miles to reach their destinations. Model Town residents continue to face massive inconvenience and disruption in their day to day activities due to the blockades installed in the entire area.
Citizens of Lahore faced massive difficulties in their day to day activities due to the barriers and containers placed on all leading roads and crossings, particularly in and around Model Town of Lahore. According to the details, the public transport was also suspended. Incidents of citizens’ quarrel with police were also reported along with the incidents where wedding guests were stopped from going to the reception. The authorities allowed the administration to allow ambulances and wedding guests to cross the blockades, following the Dunya News report. Other incidents include citizens quarreling with the police over suspension of ambulances from passing through the blockades. Reportedly, residents have to walk for hours just to get to places as the city is sealed for four days. The problem is not just for those who are entering Lahore, those wishing to exit Lahore also continue to face blockades. Wedding guests en route to a wedding reception in another city were also stopped.
Following the registration of FIR against Dr Tahirul Qadri, heavy contingents of police were deployed in Model Town while all roads leading to Minhajul Quran secretariat were sealed.
Police also launched a crackdown against Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers and detained more than 150 PAT workers from Faislabad, Sahiwal, Vehari, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot and Sheikhupura. According to police, a case under MPO 16 has been registered against the arrested people. According to sources, PAT workers are moving to safer places to avoid arrest.
A large number of PAT workers including women are also present outside the residence of Dr Qadri. Most of the workers are wearing helmets and holding sticks and shields for the possible confrontation with police.
Addressing the media, Pakistan Awami Tehreek President Dr Raheeq Abbasi said that dozens of PAT workers were arrested while demanded the government to immediately release them.
Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chief Dr. Muhammad Tahirul Qadri announced during his press conference at Martyr’s Day observance yesterday that ‘Inqilab (Revolution) March’ will start on 14th of August. He said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will lead the ‘Azadi (Freedom) March’ while we will lead the Inqilab March. Both marches will go hand in hand. He said that nobody will return until the end of the government. Tahirul Qadri said that he will keep fighting the system till his death or the day when the country will have the revolution that he is fighting for. The roads were re-opened and containers removed from all the leading roads of Lahore today after Qadri’s observance of Martyr’s Day.
