Lahore. More than 12 crore people living in Pakistan’s Punjab province remained cut off from the rest of the country for the second consecutive day due to the protest march by Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Police arrested hundreds of party workers. Due to blockade on main roads in Lahore and other parts of the province, people are facing great difficulty in purchasing fresh vegetables, fruits and milk and other essential items. People are suffering from shortage of fruits and vegetables through containers from areas outside Lahore due to road closure.
Bus services from Lahore to other cities remained suspended for the second consecutive day, due to which lakhs of passengers were affected. There is a fear that if the protest by PTI party continues for a few more days, the situation may worsen. People are also raising questions as to what is the justification for closing roads inside and outside the cities when the main protests are taking place in Islamabad. The Punjab government on Monday said that the roads will be opened after the PTI party’s protest ends. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said, “We cannot leave the people of Punjab at the mercy of PTI party protesters, hence we will have to take strict measures to protect the lives and property of the people.”
On the other hand, PTI party says that police arrested more than 3,500 party leaders and workers in Punjab and Islamabad. “Dozens of party workers were injured and more than 3,500 party leaders and workers were arrested during clashes with police on their way to Islamabad,” a senior party official said in a statement. He said the party’s long march towards Islamabad would continue till the release of its supreme leader Imran Khan and other political prisoners from jail and ‘independence of the judiciary’. Former Prime Minister Khan is in jail since August 2023 in several cases.
