LAHORE: Life in many parts of Punjab including the provincial capital remained paralysed on Sunday as protests against the government’s operation, against the protestors staging a sit-in in Islamabad, entered their second day.
The large number of protestors staging sit-ins in various parts of the province– including Lahore’s Data Darbar, Imami Park, Ek Moria Pull, Begum Kot, Bhatta Chowk, Faisal Chowk, Chungi Amar Sidhu, Thokar Niaz Baig and Walton Road – include members from Tehreek-i-Khatam-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST).
A large number of protestors continued their sit-in at Faisal Chowk (Charing Cross) outside the Punjab Assembly for the second day, under the leadership of Ashraf Asif Jalali. The leaders addressing the charged protestors vowed to not let up their demands till they were met. They said that the protest would continue till all those responsible for the amendment of the section regarding Khatam-e-Nubawat in Election Act 2017 had not resigned from the National Assembly, and added that they had more demands to follow.
The protesters claimed that the government was working on an anti-Islamic agenda and made such an amendment to please its anti-Islamic lobby.
They also announced to hold a rasm-e-qul for the activists who were killed during the clash with the police personnel on Saturday. They called them the “martyrs of khatam-e-nabuwat”.
Meanwhile, police and law enforcement agencies personnel were ordered to remain on high alert to check any untoward activity, and a large number of them were deployed on Mall Road. However, the law enforcement personnel were instructed to keep at a distance from the protestors, according to police sources.
Roads leading to chief minister Shehbaz Sharif’s house in Model Town were closed while a large number of police personnel were deployed to safeguard the area.
Several rallies of the protestors and their sympathisers were witnessed throughout the city, carrying flags of their parties and chanting slogans against the government.
The police did not make any arrests on Sunday, according to police officials. However, they had arrested about 300 people on Saturday for breaking the law.
While entry and exit points of the provincial capital remained choked, most of the city’s markets and petrol pumps also remained closed throughout the day.
The protest also led to the postponement of several weddings and other events, as wedding halls were either closed down or people found it impossible to reach them.
Trains also suffered due to the protest. Many trains were halted at different station and junctions of Punjab.
When contacted, Pakistan Railways Public Relations Director Quratulain said that there were problems on the railway tracks from Lahore to Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Wazirabad, adding that the situation was better on the tracks going South. Quratlulain also remarked that Pakistan Railways was committed to protecting its passengers.
Meanwhile, motorway police have asked citizens to avoid travelling unnecessarily during the prevalent situation and Education Minister Rana Mashood has announced that all private and government schools, colleges and universities will be closed on November 27 and 28.
“The government is trying its best to control the situation and we are hopeful that the situation would improve very soon,” he said.
