• PML-N amasses an estimated 10,000 people at ‘Istehkam-e-Pakistan Rally’ on Shaaray Fatima Jinnah; sources say at least 2,500 were provincial govt employees
• Massive traffic gridlocks on city roads as all roads leading to The Mall and rally venue were cordoned off since afternoon
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Monday took out rallies from different parts of the provincial capital in support of their leaders, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, but it was not just PML-N supporters who came out on the roads to give a ‘befitting response’ to the government’s detractors as a large number of provincial government employees were also “made to attend the historic event”.
Preparations for the main congregation at Charring Cross were made overnight but rather than holding the event on the main Mall Road, where all such political gatherings are traditionally held, the party chose to show its “numbers strength” on the narrow Shaaray Fatima Jinnah which links Qartaba Chowk to Charring Cross.
Rallies comprising hundreds of people were taken out from various PML-N strongholds in the city which all converged at Shaaray Fatima Jinnah at around 6pm. All roads leading to the said road and The Mall were cordoned off with barbed wires and barricades, leading to huge traffic jams on the Canal Road, Jail Road, Ferozepur Road, Zafar Ali Road, Hall Road and all linking roads.
THE NUMBER GAME:
According to surveillance reports of various intelligence agencies, the number of the participants at the PML-N’s “historic rally” exceeded not more than 10,000 – the highest figure estimated by the Special Branch.
The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the civilian intelligence agency, Intelligence Bureau (IB), put the figure at 5,000 while sources in the District Security Branch told Pakistan Today that around 7,000 people were present in the PML-N’s Istehkam-e-Pakistan rally.
However, sources in the district administration and Special Branch told Pakistan Today that land revenue officials (Patwaris and Tehsildars) from all towns and union councils were ordered to ensure maximum participation in the main rally.
The sources claimed that headmasters and teachers of government schools from all areas, particularly Ghazi Road, Nishtar Town and other localities were strictly ordered to participate in the event.
“According to our observation, the PML-N rally comprised nearly 2,500 government employees while the remaining people were either party workers or people brought to the venue by local leaders,” a Special Branch official confided to Pakistan Today.
TRAFFIC BROUGHT TO A HALT:
While the main event continued for just a couple of hours, the citizens were made to suffer in traffic jams which continued until late in the evening.
“I’m fed up with these frequent traffic jams resulting from political rallies. Why don’t these parties hold their shows in enclosed places like Nasir Bagh or the Hockey Stadium where there’s ample space to gather people. Why are we made to suffer for their political interests,” Shahid Ayub, a banker whose car was stuck in a traffic jam on Jail Road, told Pakistan Today.
Another citizen, Hira Tayyaba, a student of GCU, said she remained stuck in traffic for over two hours on The Mall.
“Is this the good governance Shahbaz Sharif so proudly claims in his speeches?” she said, wiping the sweat from her forehead while sitting in a rickshaw near the LHC Chowk. “I seriously want this government to go now. They can go to any extent to inconvenience people for their vested interests,” she added.
Sajid Akhtar, a trader from Akbari Gate, vented his anger at all political parties.
“If you ask me, all politicians should just go to hell. Imran Khan and Qadri are holding Islamabad hostage whereas the PML-N thinks it can get even with them by holding Lahore hostage,” the visibly irritated man said.
Pakistan Today also observed several citizens engaging in heated arguments with policemen deployed on the barricades, pleading to let them pass. Some even hurled abuses at the uniformed officers, who meekly responded that they were just following orders.
A police inspector deployed near the CCPO Office said he had been abused and cursed by angry citizens all day.
“People think that it is our fault that the roads have been blocked but no one is willing to consider that we are just doing our jobs. I know the difficulties people have to face in such situations but what can the police do when it’s actually the government calling the shots,” he said, asking not to be named.
