RAWALPINDI: Thousands of supporters of the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on Friday continued their march towards the federal capital, disrupting routine life along the route of the rally and creating severe difficulties for the masses particularly in twin cities, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
As the proscribed TLP rally is heading towards Faizabad, the local administration has finalized all the arrangements to prevent the protesters from reaching Faizabad while the security forces had cordoned off the major roads to stop the protesters who have been staging sit-ins on GT Road for the past several days, disrupting routine life and transport services.
The march has also affected life in twin cities, Rawalpindi and Islamabad like various other cities.
The administration had closed Murree Road on Wednesday for all kind of vehicular traffic by placing containers and barbed wires.
Strict security arrangements have been made in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The main highways connecting Islamabad and Rawalpindi were sealed and the Faizabad Metro service was also suspended. Major traffic jams have been reported on alternative routes and the citizens are facing difficulties as it has also become difficult to go even hospitals.
The business centres in the city and on GT Road are closed and so are the shops and restaurants on the highway. Public and private educational institutions on Murree Road and located on GT Road and its adjoining areas were also closed.
The government had announced its decision to treat the proscribed TLP as a militant organisation, with Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed sharing that the government had summoned the Punjab Rangers to maintain the law and order situation for two months in the province amid the ongoing protests.
The Punjab government has given a free hand to law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to counter the ongoing violent protests by the banned TLP.
Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has directed the LEAs to take all possible measures to maintain the law and order situation in the province.
The authorities, in order to stop the rally, had blocked major thoroughfares such as the Murree Road and adjacent highways with containers.
Multiple roads were closed for the third day as educational institutions, offices, banks and shopping malls in the affected areas remained shut.
Due to the security situation in the region, Pakistan Railways has also cancelled several scheduled trains. Railway operations between Lahore and Rawalpindi had been disrupted and all trains between the two cities had also been cancelled.
Security arrangements had been tightened at the railway stations with police commandos deployed at all entrance and exit points. Security was also deployed inside the trains.
DIG Railway Police Waqar Abbasi directed the personnel to be on patrol and alert at Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Jhelum, Lala Musa, Gujarat and Wazirabad railway stations and platforms.
According to a district administration spokesman, the local administration had prepared a contingency plan to avoid violence. On Wednesday, the containers were placed on the main roads of Raja Bazaar and adjoining areas.
The areas including Mareer Hassan, Murree Road from Mareer towards Saddar Metro Station, Murree Road from Mareer Chowk towards Liaquat Bagh, Liaquat Bagh and College Road, Iqbal Road and Dhoke Khabba Road, Bhabhra Bazaar and Circular Road, Asghar Mall Road and Chah Sultan Road, Chandni Chowk, Rawal Road and Sixth Road were blocked.
The twin cities may face shortage of edibles in the coming days in case the standoff with TLP continues.
Police have also intensified crackdown on the TLP’s activists in Rawalpindi division arresting a number of activists.
The City Traffic Police Rawalpindi on the directives of Chief Traffic Officer, Rawalpindi Rai Mazhar Iqbal had made alternative traffic plan to facilitate the citizens who had been facing immense problems due to closure of Murree Road.
The citizens were using the Expressway and I.J. Principal Road to reach Rawalpindi and Islamabad.