PTI leader was coerced into reopening Murree Road in Rawalpindi
Murree Road was reopened after the Chief Minister of Punjab’s official spokesman, Fiazul Hasan Chohan, received significant criticism from residents of this garrison city.
The PTI official spokesman for the Punjab government was met with vehement opposition by a diverse crowd, including many elderly people, who were upset over the closed road. PTI member Fiazul Hasan Chohan and his staff shut down traffic on the major Murree Road between Rehmanabad and Faizabad. Chohan was confronted by locals, particularly elderly residents, who harshly condemned his roadblocks. They said that despite his lip service to Riasat-e-Madina, Imran Khan was actively working to sow discord throughout the nation. Roads were reportedly being blocked by PTI members on Imran Khan’s orders.
After telling the demonstrators to clear the road, Fiazul Hasan Chohan departed the scene. Chohan told the press that they did not end their protest but rather reopened the major road. He insisted that the demonstrations were nonviolent. He said that protests would go on until Imran Khan gave additional orders.
Residents of the garrison city have given a resounding response to the PTI’s declaration on demonstrations, both peaceful and otherwise. They were confused by his claim of peaceful protests when PTI supporters were seen burning tyres and throwing stones at passing cars.
In interviews with The News, residents of all walks of life voiced their outrage at the ineffectiveness of the local government and the Punjab Police in protecting them. Rawalpindi has become increasingly tense as road blockades on Murree Road and other major arteries have persisted for five days with little intervention from local police.
Main roads are blocked by protesters who have set up their camps along them, forcing drivers and riders to seek out alternate routes. The public inconvenience was compounded by the suspension of local public transportation services and the Metro Bus Service.
As protests against the attempted assassination of former prime minister Imran Khan continued, the main Murree Road between Rehmanabad and Faizabad was closed. In order to shut down traffic on Murree Road, protesters lit tyres on fire and piled them up on both sides.
All public and private institutions in Rawalpindi were ordered closed once again on Thursday, per a notice issued by the city’s deputy commissioner. As a result of the widespread lawlessness, schools, both public and private, were ordered closed for three days.
As a result of the traffic jams, the ambulance service was halted, and several vehicles taking patients to hospitals became stuck. Members of the PTI gathered in Shamsabad, off Murree Road, to burn tyres and chant against the government.
