- Police block roads leading to Jati Umra residence of prime minister
- PTI vows to bring Punjab to a halt till Nawaz resigns
- Protesters, police clash leaving PTI MPA injured
Fearing backlash from anti- government protesters, roads leading to Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s Lahore residence, where he is currently residing, have been blocked and heavy contingent of police has been deployed.
The move came after Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek cheif Dr Tahirul Qadri’s supporters were baton-charged outside the PM House in the federal capital. Three persons were killed in violence and over 500 others were injured.
The police in wee hours of Sunday placed containers on Raiwind Road leading to the palatial Jati Umra residence of the PM.
Sharif had left the PM House for his Lahore residence on Friday along with his personal staff.
“Sharif had vacated the PM House fearing it might come under siege from the protesters,” a source in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is also residing there.
“Sharif will not move to the PM House till the police manage to clear the area from the protesters,” the source said, adding that the PM and his family members would not travel by road in the present circumstances.
Protesters from PTI sit-in at Lalik Jan Chowk have planned to march to the Jati Umra residence of the PM and surround it till the PM submits and resigns.
Meanwhile, workers of the PAT and the PTI protested on the Metro Bus Track and kept the bus service blocked for several hours.
“Today we will block all entry and exit points of Punjab province. We will bring the life to standstill to pressurise Nawaz Sharif to resign,” PTI Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry said.
Earlier, a clash broke out between supporters of PTI and the police after the PTI workers burn tyres and blocked the Liberty Roundabout, in order to protest against shelling of the security forces to disperse the marchers, from barging into the President House in the capital.
Police, in order to disperse the crowd, fired tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge but failed to deter the protesters who pelted stones at them. PTI Punjab Assembly Member Dr Murad Ross was injured during the clash. Sources said that DIG Operations Haider Ashraf ordered the police to use force against the protestors.
SECTION 144 IMPOSED IN PUNJAB:
Meanwhile, the Punjab government on Sunday imposed Section 144 across the province after the situation turned violent in the federal capital.
The directives were given to all DCOs of the province.
The section prohibits the assembly of five or more people at a place.
Meanwhile, tense situation prevailed in the federal capital as the police continue to clash with the protesters who were trying to march towards the Prime Minister House.
At least two people have died while more than 498 people have been wounded in the ongoing clashes.
Security has been beefed up in the provincial capital as more than 3,000 personnel have been deployed in the city. There are reports that containers have been placed to block main roads following the arrest of PTI workers.
