LAHORE: Commuters were left stranded on the roads leading to the Mall Road on Thursday as Tehreek Sirat-e-Mustaqeem led by founder Ashraf Asif Jalali gathered at Faisal Chowk to commemorate the deaths of workers in the infamous Faizabad operation.
All roads leading to Faisal Chowk were blocked for traffic, causing a massive gridlock on Canal Road, Jail Road and Ferozepur Road.
The gathering took place despite a 2011 ban imposed by Lahore High Court (LHC) on protests at Mall Road. The directions were given on a petition filed by the traders of Mall Road who stated that their businesses suffered due to frequent road blockades caused by protesters.
Ali, an employee of a local bank was on his way home when he got caught up in the nasty traffic mess at Queens Road and in a state of exasperation said,” The administration needs to take permanent steps to stop such happenings which seem to take place every other day. The ordinary citizens are tired of the problems that are caused by these gatherings”.
Meanwhile, Ashraf Asif Jalali speaking to his supporters on the anniversary of Salman Taseer’s death at the hands of his then-bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri, reiterated his claim of not forgetting the members killed during November 23, 2017, operation at Faizabad and denounced the government for trying to make changes to the clause of the finality of the Prophethood of Holy Prophet (PBUH).
