LAHORE: The Punjab police on Friday booked Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira in cases regarding the joint opposition’s rally held a day earlier in the city to observe ‘black day’ on the first anniversary of the 2018 general elections.
Two separate FIRs have been registered against 58 nominated PPP and PML-N leaders, and 2,000 unidentified miscreants. The cases are based on 10 different acts pertaining to disruption of public order, including the violation of the sound system act, Section 144, causing harm to public property, and using panaflex banners in public spaces.
The FIRs further said that protesters broke police barriers, made incendiary speeches, and chanted anti-government slogans.
The case was registered under SHO Civil Lines, with multiple charges against those present at the opposition’s rally.
On Friday, Shehbaz led a rally towards The Mall, with the Punjab government and opposition coming to a face-off. He addressed workers in Model Town, saying those who have wreaked destruction on Pakistan would have to pay and those who stole people’s jobs would be held accountable.
The PML-N workers, in addition, broke through the barriers installed on their routes by the police.
On the other hand, Kaira led his rally simultaneously with Shehbaz’s, starting from the Charing Cross.