LAHORE: Protesters who had been detained during Faizabad operation and the ensuing chaos have been released from prisons across Punjab on Wednesday, on the instructions of Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to prison sources, 458 protesters were released from eight prisons including Adiala, Kot Lakhpat, Sahiwal and Attock prisons across the province.
Despite successful negotiations between the government and the protesters occupying Islamabad early Monday morning, the protesters belonging to a little-known religious group have refused to disperse in parts of Lahore.
The protesters belonging to a separate faction of the religious group have refused to wrap up their sit-in at Lahore’s Faisal Chowk, saying they will not leave until their demands are met.
These protesters are demanding the resignation of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, and have said they will not disperse even after demonstrations across the country began to end, restoring life to normalcy in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Karachi and other cities.
The protesters have blocked roads at Faisal Chowk, creating difficulties for residents passing through the area. Police contingents have been deployed around the area to keep the situation under control.
The rest of the city, meanwhile, is back to normal as traffic flow has been restored after road blockades were removed. Metro bus service has been restored after it remained closed over the weekend due to the protests.
Educational institutions reopen after a hiatus of two days
All the private and government educational institutions across the province on Wednesday reopened after remaining shut for two days due to Tehreek-e-Labbaik protests.
Punjab’s Education Secretary Dr Allah Baksh Malik said that all schools in Punjab have been reopened and he directed the public to use alternative routes to schools where sit-ins are still continued.
While citing the reason for shutting down schools for two days in the first place, he said the schools were closed because the state was going through a sensitive situation of deadlock and roads were blocked due to Faizabad sit-in and ensuing chaos caused by the protesters countrywide.