Federal employees suffer due to PTI, PAT protests
PTI and PAT protests continue outside the Parliament resulting in the closure of Federal Ministries.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) sit-in protests continue outside the Parliament House in Islamabad on Thursday, Dunya News reported. As a result, all the federal ministries located in the Red Zone of Islamabad have become non-functional.
Red Zone is a central area in the Federal Capital where Prime Minister’s office, ministries and many embassies are also located. Thousands of protesters of PTI and PAT have gathered outside the Parliament House for past two weeks demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The residents of Islamabad have been facing a lockdown as all main routes around the Red Zone area are blocked. As an aftermath of these protests, the federal ministries have also become non-functional for past four days. Not only are the daily commuters facing problems but the federal ministers have been unable to reach their offices due to the roads closure. The top bureaucracy is being forced to stay away from their offices whereas other employees have also been skipping work. More than 20 federal offices located in the Red Zone area have become non-functional. The officers argued that they have been held hostage by the protests, adding that they are facing difficulties in reaching their homes as the roads remain blocked with containers and barricades. The protesters are violating the basic rights of the citizens ensuring freedom of movement and right of assembly as laid out in article 15 and 16 of the Constitution of Pakistan. The protestors sitting in front of the Parliament House and the Supreme Court building for almost two week are also causing extreme difficulties for the lawyers. CJ Nasir ul Mulk had earlier remarked that the Supreme Court judges were taking an alternate route to reach the SC premises and the attendance of employees was very low due to the political turmoil. Moreover, the senior officers said that they are sometimes harassed by the protesters as they try to inspect them at the Constitution Avenue.
